Kavkaz News: Russian War Characterised As Crusade

Transcript from http://www.chechnya.xnet.is/

January 31, 2000   

Kavkaz-Tsentr reports:

The Russian aggressors continue their efforts to press forward in different parts of Dzhokhar. The most ferocious fights took place near the electric power station, near the bifurcation of Argun-Starye Atagi, in Maas, and in Michurina. 50 Russians were killed near the power station. Several Russian units tried to by-pass the Chechen positions, but were repulsed by the Mujahideen. In Maas, the Mujahideen followed up individual Russian units and destroyed them. In Michurina the Russians managed to advance 50 metres. The Mujahideen are counter-attacking. According to the Chechen command during the last 24 hours more than 100 aggressors have been killed and 12 armoured vehicles were knocked out. The Mujahideen lost 3 men, one was heavily wounded.

Russia's new TV-prophet Yastrshembsky once again made known to his "dear Russians" the "voluntary surrender of Chechen fighters". According to him dozens of "fighters" laid down weapons, testifying to a "fundamental change of the military situation in Chechnya". The Chechen command denied these lies. General Aslambek Ismailov, commenting on Yastrshembsky's statement, declared: "If the Russians are lying so desperately, things are indeed going badly for them!" At the same time Kavkaz-Tsentr's correspondent in Dzhokhar reports that the Russian lieutenant colonel Chudakov has been taken prisoner.

In Argun Valley the Russians tried to charge the Chechen defence positions near the old path to Surat. So-called paratroopers tried to move from Alkhazurov into this direction. The Chechens allured the enemy into the depth of their positions, encircled them, attacked, and wiped out the Russian unit. A great amount of equipment has been captured. Among it was a special gun of which the Chechens instantly made use: they shot down a Russian helicopters using a special 12,7-mm gun. One Russian airplane was damaged and was forced to an emergency landing near the Chechen positions. The crew was shot on the spot, the plane was blasted. The Chechens lost two mujahideen, the Russians 60 men in the operations in Argun Valley.

Another two airplanes were shot down in Argun Valley. One was brought down with an 'Igla'-rocket, the other in the Itum-Kale district with an anti-aircraft gun ZU-27. The fate of these aircrafts' crews is unknown. Radio talking between the pilot of the plane shot down in Itum-Kale district and Russian searching units has been intercepted by the Chechens.

The leaders of the Russian orthodox church are blessing the murder of the Chechen people. On a requiem for the Russians killed in Chechnya Patriarch Aleksiy II extolled the "glorious Russian army in its Holy War against terrorism".
The Chechen side estimates the activities of the Russian orthodox church and the outspokenly fascist declarations of its leadership as clear sign that the war in Chechnya bears the character of a crusade against a Muslim people.
The Chechen deputy prime-minister Akhmed Zakayev pointed out that in the former USSR it is widely known that Aleksiy is a KGB-FSB cadre member. He is said to have been involved into the murder of various critical clerics of the Russian orthodox church.

According to the Chechen command the Russians have performed an airborne operation to occupy a tactical height near Itum-Kale. They are firing at the village and upon the road to the Georgian frontier. Dozens of Russian airplanes are said to be engaged in reconnaissance flights near Mount Borskhoy-Lam in the Shatoy District.

ENDS

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