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Basayev and Maskhadov behind Ishkhoi-Yurt attack
Rebels detained in a recent operation in Chechnya said that the events in Ishkhoi-Yurt and some other areas had been planned since February "under direct orders from Chechen separatist leaders Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov," representative of the regional headquarters for the anti-terrorist campaign in the North Caucasus Col. Ilya Shabalkin told Interfax on Thursday. Five police officers and a local resident died in a clash with a rebel group that raided Ishkhoi-Yurt in Chechnya's Gudermes district early on April 13. The detained rebels said that a unit of about 50 men had been formed "and instructed by the separatist leaders to carry out attacks and murders to trigger civilian panic and discontent with the federal forces." The unit had five UAZ cars and two Ural trucks, Shabalkin said. He said they murdered several civilians in Dubai-Yurt on March 27 and in Ishkhoi-Yurt on April 13. Three rebels have been killed and seven bases designed to accommodate 5 to 15 men have been destroyed in the Shatoi and Itum-Kale districts of Chechnya, Shabalkin said. He said no aviation or artillery was used in the operation. The main target of the operation in the mountains is "to destroy the infrastructure rebels could use to attempt to cross the border from Chechnya and commit serious crimes in Chechnya," Shabalkin said. He said nine radios, a receiver, explosives, cartridges, military uniforms and rations were found at one of the bases. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-04-16 |
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