Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of September 20-26

Suicide bombers blow themselves up in Northern Caucasus at the background of deepened split in "Imarat Kavkaz"; Vice-President of Abkhazia survives after another attempt; and the head of Ingushetia loses his advisor, - look these and other events in the review of the week of September 20-26, 2010, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Conflict in Northern Caucasus: new acts of suicide bombers and new kidnappings

September 26 in Dagestan was marked by a brutal murder of the family of an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), when unidentified criminals shelled dead a district militiaman, his wife and daughter in Leninkent village, Karabudakhken District. The attack resulted in deaths of the militiaman and his daughter from gunshot wounds in the place of the incident, while his wife was taken to district hospital with gunshot wounds.

On September 24, a terrorist-suicide bomber blew himself up at the building of the division of private security in Nartkala (Kabardino-Balkaria). Later it became known that a skirmish preceded the explosion; and the terrorist tried to escape. None of the militiamen was injured; and the suicide bomber was identified. According to law enforcers, it was a local resident Oleg Mizov, who was on the wanted list.

On the same day in Makhachkala (Dagestan), where a CTO (counterterrorist operation) cordon was deployed, a suicide bomber blew him up and injured 26 persons.

On September 24, the sad list of rights violations in Chechnya became longer, when power agents kidnapped seven villagers of Davydenko, Achkhoi-Martan District.

On the same day a number of armed clashes with casualties were registered in Chechnya and Dagestan.

Thus, in a special operation in the capital of Dagestan a grouping of suspected militants was blocked by power agents in a private house. At least four persons were lost - two power agents and two suspected militants; some other participants were wounded.

On that very day the active phase of a special operation was completed in Kirovaul village, Kizilyurt district of Dagestan - four militants was killed, one woman among them; three more soldiers of Interior Troops of the Russian MIA were killed in the mountains of the Vedeno District of Chechnya; and a militia officer was wounded. According to preliminary data, there are also casualties and wounded fighters among militants.

Internal contradictions aggravate in "Imarat Kavkaz"

Last week, Dokku Umarov, leader of North-Caucasian militants, stripped ranks and titles off the leaders of the Chechen sector of "Imarat Kavkaz", namely, Aslanbek Vadalov, Hussein Gakaev and Tarkhan Gaziev, who had refused to obey him. By Umarov's decision the disgraced commanders must face the Shariat Court.

Dokku Umarov said in his special address, in a special address placed on one of extremist websites that the ex-commanders "are bringing a split in the ranks of militants by their further actions."

Apart from Umarov, the video shows three emirs - Abu Supyan (Supyan Abdullayev), Hamzat and Islam. Following Umarov, who announced his decree about dismissal of Chechen emirs, Abdullayev took the floor - Umarov's first deputy (Naib) and a high authority among militants for a long time. He announced his decision to remain under Bayat (oath, - editor) to Umarov and called the rebellious emirs to listen to the arguments that there were no serious reasons to break the Bayat. Then, emirs Hamzat and Islam in turn made same statements. At the end, the floor was once again taken by Abdullayev, who asked the breakaway wing of "Imarat" to again carefully weigh up the decision to depart away from the power of "Emir-elect" Umarov.

Experts believe that the incident indicates a serious split among the rebels.

Vice-President of Abkhazia survives fifth attempt

On September 23, the fifth in a row attempt was undertaken on Alexander Ankvab, Vice-President of Abkhazia. The shot was fired from an RPG-26 grenade launcher at the roof of the two-story house in the village of Lykhny, Gudauta District, where Mr Ankvab lives. The explosion hurt Vice-President's leg and arm. His life is out of danger - he refused from hospitalization.

According to the official version, the attempt on the politician has to do with his professional activities.

The political council of the socio-political movement of veterans of the 1992-1993 Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia "Amtsakhara" and the oppositional Party of Economic Development of Abkhazia (EDA Party) have resolutely condemned the crime.

Visit of Ingush President to South Ossetia ends with scandal

On September 20, President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Evkurov went as a member of Russian delegation to Tskhinvali to celebrate the 20th anniversary of South Ossetia's independence.

People in Ingushetia treated this visit differently. In particular, Aslan Kodzoev, Mr Evkurov's adviser on interaction with civil society entities, criticized the decision of his boss to go there. Later Kozdoev explained that his post in the LiveJournal was not against Evkurov, but against those forces, which are drawing Ingushetia into hostility.

"Against what these 'brotherly neighbours' do against us - Ingushes - with support of the Kremlin. President Kokoity himself has not even apologized - at least formally - for his subordinate, and didn't even blame him; that is, it's consistent position of the Ossetian authorities. The Russia's Foreign Ministry also kept silent. And for us, Ingushes, it turns out to be all the same if we judge by the actions of our bosses," said Kodzoev.

In the opinion of the adviser to the President of Ingushetia, "Evkurov, alas, acted as a Russia's soldier, not as a ruler of Ingushes"; he added that now "the already controversial power of the government is deposited."

On September 24, Aslan Kodzoev left office. He ascribes his resignation to his publication in the LiveJournal about the voyage of President Yunus-Bek Evkurov to South Ossetia, but has no regrets about his act.

"Just what was expected happened. I expressed my opinion and my position. I realized that such things are unacceptable for an official of my level. Nevertheless, I said what I said. There was no pressure on me from the top. I myself found my action inconsistent with the relevant bureaucratic ethics and rules of conduct," said the former adviser to the President of Ingushetia.