Russian military ignores Kadyrov, mop-ups underway in ChechnyaTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus – The search for “bandits and terrorists”, launched in the territory of the Chechen Republic after the recent hostage-taking in Moscow, has triggered another outbreak of violence and abuses against civilians.
Only in the course of the last 10 days, large-scale punitive operations, commonly called „mopping-up operations“, took place in Prigorodnoye, Berdykel, Chechen-Aul, Stariye Atagi, Alkhazurovo, Duba-Yurt and Chiri-Yurt. The villages were cordoned off by troops and armoured vehicles and the servicemen of the Russian Interior Ministry forces detained males for so called „filtration“ and carried out thorough searches in houses.
These events are taking place against the backdrop of recent statements of the head of the Moscow-backed Chechen administration Akhmad Kadyrov, who claimed that he would not allow any „mopping-up“ operations in the republic. „There were and will be no operations,“ Kadyrov said on October 26, adding that there will be just targeted operations, i.e. operations aimed at specific persons. „Yesterday I summoned the heads of power structures, including the commandant of the republic. I gave the following warning: no ‚mop-ups‘ must be allowed,“ Kadyrov said.
The fears of the inhabitants of Chechnya are fully grounded. On October 3, Russian media reported that large-scale and harsh but targeted mopping-up operations will be launched all over the territory of Chechnya. (T) |
