Ten bases and six hiding places with arms detected in CTO zones in Chechnya

In the mountain areas of Chechnya, which were announced under the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime, during the first three weeks in April, ten militants' bases and six hiding places were found. This is asserted by the Military Commandant's Office of Chechnya.

"The CTO zone in Chechnya covers almost completely the Shatoy and Vedeno Districts and four dwelling settlements of the Shali District: the District centre Shali as such and villages of Serzhen-Yurt, Chiri-Yurt and Novye Atagi. Special actions go on also in the Itum-Kalin District," an employee of the Military Commandant's Office of Chechnya said in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The Commandant's Office has assured that the decision to start this CTO was not spontaneous and has no other implied sense. "It was caused, first of all, by the need to ensure citizens' safety, prevent possible broad-scale actions of bandit formations and disrupt plans of their leaders to activate their actions in spring and summer," said the source.

Meanwhile, announcement of the CTO regime in some areas of Chechnya was extremely negatively perceived by Republic's leaders and local population. President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov earlier expressed his bewilderment by that fact that the CTO in the Itum-Kalin and Vedeno Districts was announced after the Russian National Antiterrorist Committee cancelled the CTO regime in Chechnya, which lasted for more than nine years.

"In principle, there are no serious preconditions for escalating the situation and instigating panic, as done by the command of federal forces. The situation in Chechnya is the same as it was one and two years ago, that is, stable, quiet and controllable. Someone from the 'trouser stripe' command (generals are meant, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot") wanted to feel himself a hero and get next awards and ranks," said one of local law enforcers.