16 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Several dozen people today gathered outside the prosecutors' office in the southern Russian town of Nalchik, demanding release of the bodies of their relatives who were killed during a raid by alleged Islamic extremists.
Emil Pain, director of the Russian Center for Ethnopolitical Studies in Moscow, spoke to RFE/RL about the spreading violence in Russia's North Caucasus and the propects for moving toward peace.
An independent overview of the situation in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, remains impossible to obtain, a day after a series of coordinated attacks by groups of armed militants. Russian officials say security forces in the southern republic successfully ended two hostage incidents on the morning of 14 October with no loss of life to civilians. It appears Russian forces have now regained control over most of the city. Many questions remain, however, including the identity of the assailants, how many were, in fact, killed, and how many of the dead and wounded were civilians.
Although many details of the 13 October multiple attacks in Nalchik, capital of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic, remain unclear, and estimates of the number of militants who participated, and of those captured or killed, diverge significantly, the militants do not appear to have scored a military victory in the classic sense of the word. While they succeeded in sowing chaos and terror, the losses they inflicted may prove to be numerically smaller than in any single large-scale action undertaken by the Chechen resistance since 1995.
The Nalchik violence on 13 October 14 October 2005 -- Russian officials say they have freed seven hostages who were held in two locations in Nalchik, one day after a coordinated assault by militants on police and government facilities on the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria.
The fighting left bodies in the streets Nalchik, Russia; 14 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Russian authorities say the situation is under control today in Nalchik, the capital of the Russian Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkariya, where at least 85 people were reported killed during an attack by Chechen separatist militants, RFE/RL's Russian Service reported.
Moscow, 13 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A top Russian interior ministry official said at least 50 armed militants were killed today in clashes with security forces in Nalchik, the capital of the Russian Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.
Unrest in Nalchik on 13 October (AFP) Heavy fighting between security forces and armed militants reportedly linked the Chechen separatist leadership erupted on 13 October in Nalchik, the capital of Russia's southern republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. Regional authorities say about 50 militants were killed in the unrest. There are also reports of up to 12 civilian casualties. Despite claims by federal authorities that the situation was under control, clashes were still reported by mid-afternoon.
Police in Nalchik today Chechen resistance fighters launched simultaneous attacks in the morning of 13 October against multiple targets in Nalchik, capital of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic (KBR), but reportedly sustained heavy losses in fighting with Russian police and security forces. ITAR-TASS quoted KBR President Arsen Kanokov as saying that 50 of the estimated 150 militants have been killed.
A screen capture from Russian NTV television shows police evacuating a wounded colleague in Nalchik 13 October 2005 (RFE/RL) -- An RFE/RL correspondent on the scene in Nalchik reports that sporadic fighting is continuing between armed militants and security forces and police in the center of the capital of Russia's southern republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.
13 October 2005 -- Police and security forces are continuing to battle armed militants in the center of the city of Nalchik, the capital of Russia's southern republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.
13 October 2005 -- Police and security forces today are battling armed militants in the center of the city of Nalchik, capital of Russia's southern republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.
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