Result of CTO in Chechnya questions efficiency of searching militants

The experienced members of the armed underground who were killed during a counterterrorist operation (CTO) conducted in the Sernovodsk District of Chechnya had been deliberately hiding in anticipation of a more convenient moment for an attack; however, the unhindered return of one of them from Syria to Russia raises questions for law enforcers, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 11, two alleged militants were killed during the CTO in Chechnya. Sources said that Rustam Borchashvili and Kazbek Baidulaev, associated with the armed underground, were killed. A number of law enforcement sources stated that since 2006, Kazbek Baidulaev had fought in Syria and returned to Russia in 2020.

Even those on the wanted list have chances to freely return to Russia after participating in hostilities in Syria, and if they return successfully, such militants may not show themselves for a long time, Professor Alexei Malashenko, the head of scientific studies at the "Civilizations' Dialogue" Institute, asserts.

"They could have easily been in underground and not be active. It's not necessary that they carry out any kind of activity: now the ideas of the 'Islamic State' (IS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia by the court) are no longer popular in Russia; and these militants were hardly engaged in recruiting new people or preparing terror acts, as they have no resources. But their activation is possible in one case, if there is some kind of instability in Russia," Professor Malashenko has noted.

The law enforcers' version raises questions, although in general it may be close to the truth, said Akhmet Yarlykapov, a senior researcher at the Centre for the Problems of the Caucasus and Regional Security at the MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations). "The question is how a militant could get into the Russian territory, if it was known that he was fighting in Syria. Law enforcers should explain this, same as the fact that he had lived quietly in Russia for so long. These questions raise a very serious security issue," Mr Yarlykapov told the "Caucasian Knot".

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 13, 2020 at 01:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.