Chechen residents report loss of more than one civilian during militants' attack

Grozny residents claim that during the militants' attack on the city not one civilian, as the authorities assert, but several civilians were lost. The police refute this information.

The Chechen authorities have confirmed that during the fight Vladislav Vorobyov, the chairman of the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Russia in Chechnya, whose body was found after armed clashes in the House of Press, was lost.

A resident of Grozny named Dokka said, referring to his relative-policeman, that an imbecile man was severely wounded in the shootout in Grozny. According to his version, law enforcers took him for a militant and opened fire.

"They say that there are more victims, but it is concealed by the authorities," said a local resident.

An employee of one of republic's ministries named Umar told about four other casualties.

"In the morning, a cleaner, an elderly woman, was in School No. 20; and as far as I know, she was lost. Besides, 2 passenger cars were shelled – a Toyota Camry and a Toyota Corolla. The driver of the first one was killed. In the second car, which was completely burned down, there were two dead bodies," he said.

Other eyewitnesses also told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on December 4 a foreign-made car with a killed driver could be seen in one of the streets of Grozny.

It has become known that a close relative of the Chechen leader, Umar Kadyrov, 22, was among the lost power agents.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.