Source: one Tsotsi-Yurt casualty was earlier convicted militant

One of those, killed on January 11 by power agents in the Kurchaloi District, in 2004, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for participating in an illegal armed formation (IAF), said a Chechen law enforcement source.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that this morning in the Kurchaloi District law enforcers have resumed searching for the militant, who escaped after the battle on January 11. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), he is a native of the city of Shali and was, presumably, the leader of the IAF.

On January 11, special units of power agents entered Tsotsi-Yurt. Later, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, stated that four militants and one power agent were killed. Law enforcers stated the links of the killed militants with the "Islamic State" (IS), a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

The casualties have been identified, said a Chechen law enforcement source.

"They are natives of Kurchaloi, the town of Shali and the dwelling settlement of Germenchuk of the Shali District. The oldest of them was 36 years old, the youngest – about 18," he said.

According to his story, one of the casualties is Uzum-Khadji Madaev, a 36-year-old resident of Kurchaloi, the district centre, who was detained in 2003, and in 2004 sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for participation in an IAF and taking part in committing grave crimes. After serving his term, Madaev "tried to return to his former activities," the source has suggested.

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