The 2012 Nozhay-Yurtovsky District clashes involving Russian Interior Ministry special forces supported by heavy weapons and military aircraft[2] and Islamist militants occurred between February 13 and 17, 2012, reportedly leaving at least 24 people dead on both sides.[1] The Nozhay-Yurtovsky District is a part of the Russian republic of Chechnya bordering Dagestan. According to the Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, mountains were being cleared of rebels because of a planned construction of a tourist complex in the area.[3]
2012 Nozhay-Yurtovsky District clashes | |||||||
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Part of the Insurgency in the North Caucasus | |||||||
![]() Location of Nozhay-Yurtovsky District on the map of the Chechen Republic | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ramzan Kadyrov[citation needed] | Magarbi Timiraliyev † | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
17 killed and 24 wounded (government claim)[1] | 7 killed (government claim)[1] |
Results
editInitially, Kadyrov claimed that a group of 20 fighters led by Magarbi Timiraliyev ("Abudar") have been destroyed in a special operation, including 13 killed "earlier", and that 13 government troops were killed and 20 injured.[3] However, in an official report for Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (as cited by the state agency ITAR-TASS), Russia's interior minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said that 17 troops have been killed and 24 wounded, and there are only seven confirmed killed members of an armed group; Nurgaliyev also said that the government forces had been ambushed.[1][4]
According to unofficial Russian sources, at least 21 special policemen were killed and 36 injured while "completely" destroying Timiraliyev's armed group of an unreported size (presumably around seven members).[2] There is also actually no information about the fate of Timiraliyev himself.[3] Kavkazcenter confirmed five rebel deaths, citing the number of bodies shown on TV.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Russia Clashes Leave At Least 24 Dead In Northern Caucasus". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ a b Число спецназовцев, убитых в Чечне, выросло до 21. LifeNews
- ^ a b c "Casualties Reported In Fighting On Chechnya-Daghestan Border". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ "TASS: Archive - Nurgaliyev tells Medvedev about results of special operation". TASS. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ Attempts to camouflage heavy losses of the minions with lies