On February 5-11, 2018, two persons fell victim to armed conflict in Northern Caucasus

During the week of February 5-11, 2018, two persons fell victim to the armed conflict in Northern Caucasus. No wounded were reported. These are the results of the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot" based on its own materials and information from other open sources.

Both killed were suspected members of the armed underground in Ingushetia.

Attacks on law enforcers

On February 10, in the forest near the Ali-Yurt village in the Nazran District of Ingushetia, law enforcers cordoned off two armed men. When offered to surrender, the suspects opened fire from submachine guns. During the following shootout, both assailants were killed. In addition to two machine guns, near the deceased suspects, the law enforcers found two "suicide bombers' belts," components for manufacture of other improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ammunition, grenades and special equipment. No law enforcers were injured. The killed suspects were identified as Dagestani natives Abdulla Askhabov and Yunus Ibadiev. According to a source from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Ingushetia, the killed men were suspected of involvement in the terrorist grouping of IS banned in Russia.

Detentions

On February 1, 2018, Ali Umarov, a resident of Makhachkala, born in 1987, disappeared. This was reported by his relative. The man went to the penitentiary inspectorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) Department for Dagestan. The relatives have information that when Ali Umarov was leaving the FSIN Department building, he was kidnapped by people in masks. The relatives believe that the disappearance involves law enforcers.

On the other day, Rasul Tatamgadjiev, a friend of Ali Umarov, also disappeared. He told his family members that in the evening on February 1, his friend Ali Umarov called him and said he felt bad and asked to pick up him at the Makhachkala "50th anniversary of Victory" Park. According to Rasul Tatamgadjiev, at the park, suspicious people began to approach him and ask him some ridiculous questions. He ran to his car, entered it and blocked the doors. Those people used their cars to block the exit for him, but Rasul could still leave the place. He left for his relatives to the village of Geli in the Karabudakhkent District. Meanwhile, on the other day, he was visited there by people who introduced themselves as law enforcers. They forced Rasul Tatamgadjiev into their car and took him away to some unknown destination. On February 7, the whereabouts of Ali Umarov was identified. He is being kept at one of the police stations. Law enforcers suspect Ali Umarov of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition. At night on February 7, Rasul Tatamgadjiev contacted his relatives and informed them of his detention. Rasul Tatamgadjiev admitted his guilt and he did not tell an advocate that he had made his confession under pressure. There were no visible injuries on his body, his advocate Selim Magomedov reported.

On February 6, two brothers Ismail Kurbanov, born in 1994, and Mukhtar Kurbanov, born in 1996 disappeared in the Kayakent District. On the day of their disappearance, they were engaged in building a house for their brother in the village of Druzhba in the Kayakent District. This was reported by their father Mikail Kurbanov, who worked together with them at the construction site. According to the father, in the afternoon, he went away on business, and when he returned, his sons disappeared. Residents of the village reported that not far from the house of the disappeared brothers, they saw a car with unknown young men of athletic appearance. At the ROVD (District Interior Division), Mikail Kurbanov was told that his sons were not being brought there. About 50 relatives of the young people came to Makhachkala and filed to the Prosecutor's Office a complaint about the kidnapping of the Kurbanov brothers. On February 8, the relatives found out that brothers Ismail and Mukhtar Kurbanov were kept at the ROVD for the Soviet District of Makhachkala. According to Mikail Kurbanov, his son Mukhtar says he has been detained in Makhachkala only this morning. Mukhtar, according to his father, decided to admit his involvement in groupings of Syrian militants. The father believes that law enforcers could beat Ismail and Mukhtar for two days, on February 6-8, to force them to make confessions and then bring them to the ROVD and "present everything in a way as if they were detained in Makhachkala near the northern bus station in the morning."

On February 7, Magomedtagir Gadjiev, a resident of the Dagestani village of Gubden, who worked as a truck driver, left for Iran. He was yet on the territory of Dagestan when he stopped answering phone calls. His relatives found out that the man did not reach a registration point on the border with Azerbaijan and filed to the law enforcement bodies a complaint about his disappearance. The relatives reported that law enforcers did not want to accept the complaint about the disappearance of Magomedtagir Gadjiev until he was brought to a unit of the law enforcement bodies in the Karabudakhkent District. A Magomedtagir Gadjiev's relative noted that an advocate visited the detainee and talked to him.