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Militants launch attacks on police, government buildings in Russia
Chechen rebels claiming responsibility; 50 militants killed, reports say
By FATIMA TLISOVA
Thursday, October 13, 2005 Posted at 5:52 AM EDT
Associated Press
Nalchik, Russia Chechen rebel forces took responsibility Thursday for a co-ordinated attack on the southern Russian city of Nalchik that sparked battles involving heavy-arms fire and explosions that forced the evacuation of schools and left corpses in the streets.
Meanwhile, regional President Arsen Kanokov said about 50 militants had been killed in the fighting, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
The Kavkaz-Center website, seen as a voice for rebels loyal to Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, said it had received a short message on behalf of the Caucasus Front.
It said the group is part of the Chechen rebel armed forces and includes Yarmuk, an alleged militant Islamic group based in Kabardino-Balkariya.
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The group's members have allegedly been involved in several attacks against police in the region, but Yarmuk chief Andemirkan Guchayev dismissed the allegations earlier this week, saying it was not involved in any illegal activities.
Mr. Guchayev accused authorities of spreading false information about the group in order to justify repression against its members.
The attacks on police and government buildings in Nalchick, one of the main cities in Russia's turbulent Caucasus region and capital of the predominantly Muslim republic of Kabardino-Balkariya, involved around 100 insurgents, a local Interior Ministry official said on condition of anonymity.
ITAR-Tass cited Nalchik's city ambulance service as saying there were "many casualties" and that its 31 ambulances were constantly answering emergency calls.
