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| Caucasus |
| Caucasus Corpse Count |
| 2004-07-14 |
| Rebels took 12 members of Chechnya’s presidential security service captive, an official said Wednesday, contradicting earlier reports that 18 of the officers had died in heavy fighting. The Interfax news agency had quoted security service chief, Chechen First Deputy Premier Ramzan Kadyrov, as saying Tuesday that 18 of its members had been killed in fighting outside the southern village of Avtury. However, Kadyrov told NTV television later that six had been killed. Interfax quoted Chechnya’s chief prosecutor, Vladimir Kravchenko, as saying Wednesday that 12 of the security service officers had been taken captive. Kravchenko said about 30 security troops apparently were ambushed by 60 or 70 rebels, according to Interfax. In addition to the six security servicemen, five rebels were killed, he said. The ITAR-Tass news agency, citing an unidentified Chechen police official, gave different numbers, reporting 11 security troops were taken captive and five killed. It said four Chechen police also died in the fighting. The loss of his forces is a harsh blow to Kadyrov, a son of the Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, who was assassinated two months ago. The heavy fighting outside the village of Avtury came hours before a roadside explosion hit the motorcade of the Chechnya’s acting president, Sergei Abramov, killing one person and injuring two others. Abramov was unhurt in the blast in Chechnya’s capital, Grozny. Russia’s chief prosecutor, Vladimir Ustinov, said President Vladimir Putin had ordered him to travel to the North Caucasus "in connection with aggravation of the situation" in the region, which includes Chechnya. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |