Journalists see links of CTOs in Stavropol and Zelenchukskaya

The murder of the man who triggered an explosion in Stavropol, reports on explosion threats in the city and the counterterrorist operation (CTO) in Karachay-Cherkessia are linked, said Vasily Balditsyn, the Chairman of the Union of Journalists of the Stavropol Territory.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 19, an unidentified person blew up a grenade in an apartment building in Stavropol and after that he was killed. The man was identified as a resident of Karachay-Cherkessia. The law enforcement bodies suggest he was a member of the "Zelenchukskaya" militant grouping.

"These are coordinated actions, links of one chain: probably, the killed young man had ties with militants from Karachay-Cherkessia. He was a young man, aged 23 or 25 years. He rented an apartment through the "Avito" service for three days in a high-rise building in an outskirt of Stavropol," Mr Balditsyn told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He is sure that the Stavropol Territory was "chosen to be the object of a terrorists' attack." "This is the region closest to the Caucasian republics; it's convenient for them to attack the Stavropol Territory," Vasily Balditsyn believes.

His opinion is supported by Sergey Goncharov, the president of the international association of veterans of the anti-terror unit "Alpha".

"Only two days ago, a large-scale CTO was conducted in Karachay-Cherkessia; and Northern Caucasus is in close proximity to the Stavropol Territory. Militants' activeness will intensify, since the New Year holidays and presidential election are approaching," Mr Goncharov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He suggests that the recent militants' activeness may have to do with "the echo of the Syrian conflict." "Militants were scattered, and now, via the southern 'underbelly', are trying to get into Russia," Sergey Goncharov has concluded.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.