'Federal forces were attacking a deserted base,' says expert

"It is so far unclear with whom our colleagues in Dagestan have been fighting for three days using artillery and aviation. At least there is no official information in Moscow as yet. If there were no more than a dozen members of illegal armed units, it would be fun but for casualties on our part," an officer of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry's Department for the Combating of Organised Crime and Terrorism told Caucasian Knot's correspondent earlier today. "Basically, rebels constantly reconnoitre around that tunnel. Military columns for the grouping which is currently deploying near Botlikh follow this route too. This is a strategic road and a strategic tunnel. There have been numerous attempts to blow it up to make access from the flat part of Dagestan to the mountainous one considerably more difficult. So it is not ruled out that the republican police accidentally ran into a gang while conducting pre-emptive activities. The gunmen killed or wounded whom they were able to and then escaped in the dark. Both the artillery and the aircraft were therefore most likely working on a deserted base."

The officer reminded that a group of Dagestani policemen had suddenly been ambushed near the tunnel several months ago. Some officers were then killed and wounded.

"It is so far too early to judge if the actions of the local police officers were correct and competent. When there is official and unofficial information, it will be possible to speak about their professional mistakes, if any, more clearly," the officer emphasised saying that this was his "personal opinion."

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