Dagestan: residents of Untsukul District displeased with power agents

Villagers in Balakhani, Untsukul District of Dagestan, express their discontent with actions of employees of power agencies who are conducting a special operation in the vicinity. People say that uncontrolled fire is killing cattle and provoked a fire in the adjacent forest.

On May 12, gun and machine-gun fire was heard around Balakhani. Rasul Yakubov, head of the municipal formation named "Balakhani village", has explained to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that this is their everyday reality.

Periodically, local and federal militiamen block the village for holding "zachistkas" (clean-ups). Power agents check and search residents house-by-house. Several young guys were detained for two and more days for not having their passports on them, however, they were released after their personalities were cleared.

The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan refrained from any comments.

The situation in the Untsukul District, where the counterterrorist operation is on for the sixth month already after the murder on December 15, 2007, of Gazimagomed Magomedov, a resident of Gimry village of the Untsukul District and deputy of the National Assembly of Dagestan of the third and fourth convocations, is still tense.