2004 Avtury raid
Encyclopedia
The Avtury raid took place on 12-13 July 2004, when a large group of Chechen
militants assaulted the Chechen village of Avtury
.
who had run out of ammunition were captured at dawn in their base. A car was also ambushed on the road to Avtury and all its passengers were killed.
As the rebels retreated and the government reinforcements arrived, the fighting reportedly continued in the forest outside the village later on the second day.
According to the government sources, at least 18 pro-Moscow fighters and 15 rebels died in the village (20 according to Ramzan Kadyrov
). Initially it was claimed eight rebels were killed, and only one body was found at the site according to Memorial
. The government declined to disclose the republican and federal losses during the fighting outside of Avtury.
The separatists said they lost five men killed and two missing, while the Russian losses were estimated as at least 45 to 50 killed (including 15-20 commandos during a fight in the forest near Avtury) and dozens wounded.
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
militants assaulted the Chechen village of Avtury
Avtury
Avtury is a village in Shalinsky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Khulkhulau River, east of Shali. Population:...
.
The attack
After entering the village, separatist guerillas first blocked all entrances to the village and then attacked and seized the buildings of the security forces, inflicting heavy casualties on the defenders. A dozen members of pro-Moscow Chechen police and militia forcesKadyrovtsy
Kadyrovtsy also Kadyrovites, is a term used by the population of Chechnya, as well as members of the groups themselves, for former members of the paramilitary units of the former pro-Moscow President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov, headed by his son and the current President Ramzan...
who had run out of ammunition were captured at dawn in their base. A car was also ambushed on the road to Avtury and all its passengers were killed.
As the rebels retreated and the government reinforcements arrived, the fighting reportedly continued in the forest outside the village later on the second day.
According to the government sources, at least 18 pro-Moscow fighters and 15 rebels died in the village (20 according to Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Kadyrov
Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov is the President of Chechnya and a former Chechen rebel.Ramzan is a son of former Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, assassinated in May 2004. In February 2007 Kadyrov replaced Alu Alkhanov as President, shortly after he had turned 30, which is the minimum age for the post...
). Initially it was claimed eight rebels were killed, and only one body was found at the site according to Memorial
Memorial (society)
Memorial is an international historical and civil rights society that operates in a number of post-Soviet states. It focuses on recording and publicising the Soviet Union's totalitarian past, but also monitors human rights in post-Soviet states....
. The government declined to disclose the republican and federal losses during the fighting outside of Avtury.
The separatists said they lost five men killed and two missing, while the Russian losses were estimated as at least 45 to 50 killed (including 15-20 commandos during a fight in the forest near Avtury) and dozens wounded.