Chechen solon blames west for terror attack subject logo: DONBASWAR
2014-12-05
Posted by: badanov

By Chris Covert
Rantbrug.com

The speaker of the Chechen parliament said Thursday the failed terror attack in Grozny early Thursday morning was the work of NATO, according to a news report which appeared in the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

Abdurakhmanov Dukuvakha said in a late night emergency meeting of the Chechen parliament that "Western intelligence agencies" were responsible for an attack that "cannot work and will not work!"

It appears, according to all Russian language press reports, that the militants who died Thursday morning were caught with their pants down: they did not expect to encounter a police checkpoint on their drive into Grozny.

According to official and unofficial reports, a team of six militants wearing police uniforms, traveling aboard three vehicles were stopped at a police checkpoint near downtown Grozny at around 0100 hrs. When discovered, the militants opened fire, killing three police. The militants then fled to the Press House. According to Russian media, the Press House houses all "federal news agencies" in the region.

A separate group of militants took over a school identified as No. 20. According to rg.ru press outlet, the school serves 790 students and 39 teachers. When the takeover was discovered, Russian security forces cordoned off the area to 500 meters, which still remains 24 hours later. The fighting totally destroyed the building. The students were notified via text messages and other means that classes had been cancelled. A press summary said four militants were killed at the school by Russian and local security forces.

The counterattack by Russian military and security forces against the militants holed up in the Press House took place overnight and was very intense, according to press accounts and as seen in social media video. Videos from residents showed Russian police and Russian Army personnel in BTR armored personnel carriers moving to an unknown location.

One video showed heavy gunfire coming from what is presumed to be either anti-materiel rifles positioned atop other buildings, or helicopters, and from the ground fire from small arms, fire so intense that much of the building was destroyed.

According to Itar-Tass a total of 17 died, including seven police, eight militants and four others, presumably civilians as yet unidentified. According to the report, local hospitals counted the wounded at 21 in varying degrees of severity. A total of 28 police officers were wounded in the fighting as well.

According to Russian language press accounts, security forces recovered 24 IEDs and an undisclosed number of grenades and rifles inside the Press Center and at the school. Reports were the militants were planning a campaign in the city using those devices.

Western press agencies noted that the attack was timed to coincide with Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin's nationwide address. According to rg.ru, however, the militants planned attacks leading up the the Russian Constitution Day, December 12th.

Rg.ru also said that, according to local intelligence agencies, the information released that night about an invasion by "hundreds of militants" was false. The group was identified as belonging to the Caucasus Emirate.

A Czech academic identified as Nadir Salt Elsunkayev said that a local group identified as Al Shishani Islamic Caliphate had previously threatened to attack Chechnya. An indication is that this attack may have a connection to the Islamic State in the Levant, the large terrorist army now operating in western Iraq and northern Syria.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.

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