News from Chechnya

2.8.2004

Federal servicemen set fire to house with residents

CHECHNYA, Grozny. (Russian-Chechen Friendship Society Information Centre). A shootout between Chechen resistance and Russian ‘federals’ on 28 July in Argun ended in a punitive act against civilians whose homes happened to be in the epicentre of the battle.

The clash began after mojaheds fired a grenade launcher at the Federal forces’ armoured personnel carrier. During the exchange of fire seven servicemen and two Ingush militia officers from reinforcement detail sustained fatal injuries. Another 12 people were also injured. After the gunfight Russian servicemen searched a two-storey apartment block nearby (26 Gagarin street). According to the residents, the military forced entry into their flats smashing down the doors, made people lie down on the floor and threatening them with weapons searched the rooms. Some residents of the apartment block, including the elderly, were beaten up. Khizmat Khizriev was shot in the foot while he was searched, but doctors who arrived from a nearby children’s clinic were not allowed to attend to him. Then Khizriev was forced into an armoured personnel carrier and several hours later was abandoned in the outskirts of the city. Failing to find any trace of armed separatists in the apartment block, the military shot at the building and set fire to it with the residents still inside, among whom were the elderly, women and children. The military did not let firemen near the apartment block, and by the evening it burnt down.

Zharman Usmanova in order to save her three children had to throw them out of the window, then jumped out herself breaking her leg.

The military also burnt down the house of 92-year-old Ramzan Bisoultanov whose nephew managed to get him out after the fire had started.

30 July Argun administration refused to provide new housing for the residents of the burnt-out apartment block at 26 Gagarin Street.

Translated by Olga Sharp
PRIMA-News Agency [2004-07-30-Chech-06