On August 14-20, 2017, five persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

During the week of August 14-20, 2017, five persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. Of them, four were killed, and another was wounded. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

All the killed and wounded persons are suspected members of the armed underground in Dagestan.

Special and counterterrorist operations

As a result of the CTO legal regime, introduced on August 13 in the village of Orota in the Khunzakh District of Dagestan, a man was cordoned off in a private house. He refused to surrender his weapon, opened fire at law enforcers and was killed. He has been identified as Khadjimurad Gadjiev, the leader of the "Khunzakh" grouping of militants, who was on the federal wanted list. In the house where Khadjimurad Gadjiev was killed, law enforcers found explosives, weapons, and ammunition. On August 14, the CTO legal regime in the village was lifted.

Bombings and terror acts

On August 17, an explosion occurred on the outskirts of the Novogagatli village in the Khasavyurt District of Dagestan. According to the preliminary information, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated. Two persons were killed at the place, the third died in the hospital, and the fourth stays in a resuscitation ward. According to some reports, one of the deceased men was a son of a man sentenced for aiding and abetting militants. A source from the law enforcement agencies reported that members of an illegal armed formation (IAF) could fell victim to the explosion "when they were digging up their hiding."

Kidnappings

On August 12, in Dagestan, local resident Zaurbeg Musaev was kidnapped. This was reported by his wife on August 15. According to eyewitnesses, a Gazel car drove up to a bus stop, and two men jumped out of it, tied Zaurbeg Musaev and took him away to some unknown destination. People who were standing nearby wanted to prevent the kidnapping, but a man with a pistol came out of a route taxi. Relatives were looking for Zaurbeg Musaev at police stations, but were told that the man had not been detained by the police. On August 16, it became known that Zaurbeg Musaev returned home; however, he refused to disclose the details of his kidnapping.

On August 16, relatives of Chechen singer Zelim Bakaev reported that they could not find him since August 8. The singer lives in Moscow, and he arrived in Grozny to take part in his sister's wedding party. On August 8, he left home and never returned. Two friends of the singer claimed on that day, Zelim Bakaev was kidnapped by men in military uniforms in the centre of Grozny. According to Leyla Vakhaeva, a manager of the singer, he could leave Chechnya after a conflict in the family. Djambulat Umarov, Chechen Minister for National Policy, Press and Information, reported that law enforcers did not detain Zelim Bakaev.