ICPO: militants' leader liquidated in south of Chechnya

As reported by the Investigatory Department for Chechnya of the ICPO (Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office) of Russia, on February 4 the leader of a group of militants was assassinated in one of the settlements of the Vedeno District of Chechnya in the course of a special operation held in the south of the republic.

A wide-scale operation aimed to neutralize militants was launched after a scout group detected members of illegal armed formations (IAFs) to the south of Alkhazurovo village, Urus-Martan District of Chechnya. According to the ICPO, during the operation five federal soldiers were lost  and seven more wounded.

"Out of five liquidated militants, three are already identified. One of them - Ilman Istamirov - was, under operative data, the so-called "Emir" of Kevzina village, Vedeno District, the second one - Shamil Ahmadov, born in 1987, and the third one - Ibragim Gaziev, born in 1987," the "Gazeta.Ru" quotes the source.

The spokesman of the regional ICPO also said that, by operative data, "the bandit group was up to 50 persons strong," the "Gzt.ru" notes.

See earlier reports: "The Daily Telegraph: to transform Chechnya into resort, they need to catch Doku Umarov", "In Chechnya, militia detains a suspect of kidnapping a girl", "HRW: situation with human rights in Northern Caucasus is more and more tragic".