Kadyrov killed in bomb attack in Grozny(Prague Watchdog) - The Moscow-backed leader of the Chechen Republic, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed in a bomb attack in Grozny this morning.
During Victory Day celebrations in a central stadium in the Chechen capital, an explosion ripped through the VIP seating area mortally wounding Kadyrov.
Khussein Isayev, chairman of the State Council of the Chechen Republic, which formally performs the duties of the republic's parliament, was killed as well.
General Valery Baranov, the commander of Russian forces in the Northern Caucasus, lost his leg and is in critical condition.
Several other people were killed, including Chechen reporter Adlan Khasanov, who worked for the Reuters news agency, and dozens were injured.
It is not clear if the attack was carried out by members of the Chechen resistance movement, who consider the Moscow-backed authorities of the republic to be non-legitimate and collaborationists.
Four years ago the Kremlin chose Kadyrov to head the republic's administration in order to fill a vacuum after the bodies of the independent Chechen Republic of Ichekeria had been effectively dismantled. In October 2003, Kadyrov was proclaimed the country's "president" on the basis of manipulated elections.
At the end of last year, Moscow-backed Chechen forces led by Kadyrov's son Ramzan, in cooperation with the Russian military, intensified their efforts to arrest or kill top leaders of the Chechen resistance movement. In recent weeks they said their target included also Aslan Maskhadov, President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
(T) RELATED ARTICLES:
· Feature on Kadyrov - "The Big Boss Runs for President" (PW, 24.8. 2003)
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