Participants in a rally in Nalchik honored the memory of the victims of the militant attack

Those killed during the attack on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria 20 years ago were remembered during a memorial service held in Nalchik.

Law enforcement officials, government officials, and representatives of public organizations gathered at Police Square in Nalchik. They observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims, and the names of the fallen law enforcement officers were read out. Following a memorial ceremony led by clergy, flowers were laid at the memorial, TASS reports.

"The republic was saved from the brink of a fratricidal war and chaos. On that tragic day, innocent civilians also perished at the hands of terrorists. Hundreds were injured," RIA Kabardino-Balkaria quotes Deputy Prime Minister Zalim Kashirokov as saying.

The attack on Nalchik: how it happened

"At around 9:00 a.m. (October 13, 2005), eight groups of militants attacked law enforcement buildings. They were armed with small arms, grenade launchers, hand grenades, and various explosive devices. By midday, dozens of bodies lay on the streets of Nalchik. Among the civilians killed was a 79-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War. At the time of the attack, he was buying medicine for his wife at Pharmacy No. 47 on Lenin Avenue and was wounded when he left the pharmacy. He died in the hospital. The deputy head of security at the Dubki market, caught in militant fire, was also killed. A 20-year-old resident of the village of Belaya Rechka, electricians from Nalchik Electric Grids, the director of the Okhotnik store, and others also died from stray bullets," reads a post today by the author of the blog " Nalchik and Neighbors. The Caucasus in Search of Justice " on the " Caucasian Knot ."

The attack involved units of militants from the Caucasian Front of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI) under the overall command of  Shamil Basayev . The bulk of the militants were local residents, adherents of Salafism. The direct organizers and leaders of the attack on Nalchik were Anzor Astemirov  and Iless Gorchkhanov. According to Chechen separatists, members of the Yarmuk jamaat, based in Kabardino-Balkaria, also actively participated in the operation.

According to various sources, between 13 and 18 different locations were attacked almost simultaneously. Some of the attacked locations were stormed. Russian security forces managed to repel the attacks on some locations. Specifically, the attackers were prevented from seizing the 1st Nalchik Department of Internal Affairs, the border service detachment, the FSB building, and the airport grounds. The attack on the city was accompanied by hostage-taking. The militants held several hostages in a "Souvenirs" store until October 14.

Local residents believe the attack on Nalchik  was provoked by police brutality . The fight against Islamic extremism has resulted in widespread persecution of Muslims by law enforcement agencies. According to the Memorial Human Rights Center*, cases of pressure by security forces on local businesses have become more frequent, as have the number of beatings and torture of detainees.

Translated automatically via Google translate from  https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416279