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Twenty-three
hostages released in Chechnya
01.08.2003
By Yevgeny Sobetsky
GROZNY, August 1 (Itar-Tass) - The federal troops released 23 people
from rebels' captivity in Chechnya's Vedeno district on the night of
July 30 to 31. An official of the regional center in charge of the anti-terror
operation in the North Caucasus Colonel Ilya Shabalkin told Itar-Tass
on Friday that 22 women and a ten-year-old boy had been taken hostage
by Shamil Basayev's rebels.
The leaders of militants planned to seize the Dyshne-Vedeno village
using the hostages as a live shield. The extremists hoped that dozens
of civilians would die under the federal troops' fire.
The federal troops thwarted a major act of provocation that was designed
to destabilize the situation in the Chechen republic.
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2003-08-01 12:50
Chechen militants use hostages as live shields
GROZNY, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - During a clash between Russian federal
forces and a group of Chechen militants on Thursday evening in southeast
Chechnya, militants tried to use hostages as "a live shield".
As has been reported, the battle took place near the village Dyshne-
Vedeno in the Vedeno district of Chechnya. According to the information
of the Regional Operative Staff for Control Over the Counter-Terrorist
Operation in the North Caucasus, a group of up to 20 bandits invaded
the populated area and took hostages from among local residents - 22
women and a 10-year-old teenager. Using them as "a live shield", the
bandits tried to make it into the center of the village and attack the
military commandant's office.
Federal forces managed to cut off hostages from militants without shooting,
after which a skirmish took place. Nine militants were killed in the
battle. Two servicemen of federal forces were killed and four wounded.
According to updated information, another battle took place on Thursday
in the city of Argun east of Grozny. According to he
information of the Chechen interior ministry, unidentified persons fired
at the checkpoint situated in the center of the city from
submachine-guns and underbarrel grenade launchers. Three law- enforcement
agents were wounded. Casualties among militants are not reported.
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No troops hurt in operation to free hostages in Dyshne-Vedeno
01.08.2003
By Yevgeny Sobetsky
GROZNY, August 1 (Itar-Tass) -- During the operation to release 23 hostages
in the village of Dyshne-Vedeno, the Vedeno district of Chechnya, none
of the participating federal troops was hurt, the regional headquarters
running the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus said.
Troops from the special company of the military commandant's office
and agents of the Russian federal security service FSB took part.
The areas of Dyshne-Vedeno and Dzhani-Vedeno are being combed for scattered
groups from the armed gang that took 23 local residents hostage late
Wednesday night.
On the site of the armed clash five automatic rifles, a handgun, five
radio sets, a night vision binocular and a great amount of cartridges
and hand grenades were found.
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Lenta
ru: More details about skirmishes in Dyshne-Vedeno and Argun
http://lenta.ru/vojna/2003/08/01/dvedeno/ (excerpted and translated
by M.L.)
According to a representive of the regional miliary HQ for the anti-
teeror operation in the Northers Caucasus 20 boyeviks from Shamil Basayev's
unit entered the village of Dyshne-Vedeno at 21:30 (9:30 PM) Moscow
time.
Operation to liquidate boyeviks was led by the deputy military commandant
of Chechnya - Sulim Yamadayev. Eight extremists were killed. Two of
those killed have been identified, one of them, according to ROSH data
is Aslambek Bekbulatov, a participant in the raid on Budennovsk. As
indicates Interfax information agency Bekbulatov belonged to Shamil
Basayev's personal guard. The second one - that was the inhabitant
of Grozny - Magomed Budunov. The identities of the rest are being established.
Two soldiers of the federal forces also perished. As they reported to
the news agency in the military commendatura of Chechnya, these are
the inhabitant of the Cossack village of Pervomaiskoye of the
Grozny district - Isa Susuyev and the inhabitant of the regional center
of Kurchaloy - Omar Ulyanov. Four more soldiers were injured. According
to information of the news agency, one of the injured - Arbi Ugayev,
- is in grave condition.
On the spot of incident two Kalashnikov automatic rifles, Kalashnikov
light machine gun, night vision goggles, two Kenwood radio stations
were found.
Let us add, that the same day, two policemen and two soldiers of the
federal forces, who came under fire on the road Tsa-Vedeno - Pervomaiskoye
in the Vedeno district of Chechnya were killed. As a representative
of the staff of the temporary group MVD of Russia in the North Caucasus
reported to the news agency, boyeviks had fired from their grenade launchers
and a heavy machine gun. Fire was returned, and according to some data,
one of the fighters was destroyed.
Skirmish occurred also in the city of Argun. As reported to Interfax
the head of city administration of city Kerim Guchiyev, on the night
of August 1st, boyeviks fired from automatic guns and underbarrel
grenade dischargers on the checkpoint at the crossroads, which lead
from Argun to Grozny, Gudermes and Shali. Alarm was raised and towards
the place of incident personnel of local ROVD was sent. The battle had
continued for two hours. As a result of it, mortally wounded was the
police private Aslan Eldarov, inhabitant of Grozny region. With bullet
injuries hospitalized were the police Major Alan Khamatov, and also
the employee of security service of the head of administration of the
Chechen republic Rizvan Khadzhimuradov.
Losses on the side of boyeviks are being established. Situation in Argun,
in the morning on the 1st of August has been normalized, traffic along
all streets has been restored, reports the news agency.
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