| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus |
| Ingushetia attack plotted for a long time |
| 2004-07-07 |
| The rebel attack in Russian republic of Ingushetia which killed 90 people last month had been planed long time ago, a Russian prosecutor said Tuesday. Investigation shows that Chechen rebel field commanders Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov instructed their followers to launch attacks in the republic that borders the breakaway Chechnya, said Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov. The goal of the attack was to kill as many law enforcement officers as possible in revenge for their successful counter-terrorist campaign, and to seize arms, Ustinov added. The victims included 62 law enforcement officers and 28 civilians, and 93 people were wounded, he said, citing final figures. Among some 200 to 300 armed attackers, half were Ingush residents and the rest were Chechens, Arab mercenaries, and even women, Ustinov said. The heavily armed guerrillas staged simultaneous attacks on June 22 on police and government buildings in three towns of Ingushetia, clashing with law enforcement forces. Several senior local officials, including Ingushetia’s acting interior minister Abukar Kostoyev, were among the victims. Investigators have confirmed the names of over 100 guerrillas involved in the attack and 16 suspects were detained. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |