Kavkaz News: 1700 Killed In Concentration Camp

Transcript from.... http://www.chechnya.xnet.is/... the official news agency of the Chechen rebels.

Mon, February 21st, 2000

Kavkaz-Tsentr reports:

The staff of the Chechen command has made it known that the main units of the Chechen armed forces at the mouth of Argun Valley are being regrouped.
Because of tactical considerations the mujahideen have withdrawn their forces from Duba-Yurt and the River Vashtar. Along with this, Chechen forces have straightened the defensive line in the depth of the Argun Valley.
Despite the two month siege of Duba-Yurt, the Russian aggressors have not been able to break through the Chechen defensive positions.
During the fighting for Duba-Yurt and the surrounding heights the Russians lost about 1,000 men, among them at least 400 so-called paratroopers. 70 armoured vehicles have been knocked out and several helicopters were shot down. The mujahideen suffered 20 casualties and 34 men were wounded on this battlefield in two months. The Russians are continuing to shell Duba-Yurt and the surrounding heights.

In the concentration camp of Chernokozovo 1,700 people have been shot or maimed, among them 60 children. The public prosecutor's office of the ChRI is continuing its investigations.
From 10th to 15th February 37 people were shot in the concentration camp and at least 40 prisoners died because of beating and torture.
Inmates of the concentration camp continue to report brutal torture and tormenting. The favourite method of the Russian sadists is to beat their victims with hammers and iron rods. People are being tortured to death by ramming up to 200 empty submachine gun cartridges into their bodies.
The public raping of corpses of prisoners is a common practice.
The guards also cut of hands and feet of their victims in special torture-chambers. The victims usually die because of loss of blood.
About 60 children ranging from 10 to 13 years in age are said to have been beaten to death.

According to the Chechen command a unit of Russian so-called marine infantry was destroyed near Nizhaloy in the south of Chechnya. The unit had been landed on a commanding height. Chechen scouts gathered information on the forthcoming operations, and a small unit of mujahideen occupied favourable positions. The Russian troops, having been landed by assault helicopters, were welcomed with machine gun and grenade launcher fire. More than 100 Russian elite-terrorists were killed. No casualties on the Chechen side.

The fighting in the mountainous zone in the south of Chechnya continues. The principal combat action is taking place 6 km west of Khorsenoy. The units of the mujahideen are applying the tactics of mobile defense: Mobile defense positions are being built up on the main routes of Russian advance while special units of the mujahideen attack the flanks of the Russians. These tactics has proved suitable to inflict the highest possible casualties on the enemy and to disturb his plans most effectively.
According to the Chechen side another helicopter was brought down near height 2075.9.
The Russians in these regions are trying to fortify themselves on the heights captured by them and to artillery control of several mountain paths.

In Turkey, where millions of people of Caucasian origin are living, mass protest against the Russian occupation of Chechnya goes on.
Several thousand people took part in two demonstrations in Çorum and Konya organized by the Chechen diaspora in Turkey. Thousands of ethnic Turks took part in it, too, demanding the end of the Russian aggression and the Russian genocide in Chechnya.
The European countries were criticized for doing nothing.
In several speeches the public was reminded of the fact that the genocide of the Caucasian people has already gone on for centuries. After the First Caucasian War [about 1780 - 1859/64] hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes [and to go to the Ottoman Empire. Transl.] Resolutions were passed, demanding an end to the Russian genocide in Chechnya and the punishment of the Kremlin gang for crimes against humanity.
In Çorum a Chechen envoy was welcomed at the meeting: Said-Hassan Abumuslimov, commissioner of the Chechen government for the investigation of Russia's genocide in the Caucasus, transmitted the salutations of President Maskhadov to the participants in the demonstration.

21hb FEB, 2000

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sat, February 19th, 2000

Kavkaz-Tsentr reports:

Bitter fighting is taking place in the south of Chechnya 6 km west of Khorsenoy for a 12-km long east-west ridge in the mountainous zone.
According to the commander of the Chechen armed forces of the Shatoy region, Khamzat Gilayev, the mujahideen brought down a helicopter with paratroopers there. Another helicopter was damaged on the ground. Gilayev says that during the combat actions for height 2075.9 more than 100 Russians were killed.
Because of the fierce resistance of the Chechen mujahideen the aggressors were forced to drop their troops several kilometres west of the scheduled point.
The fighting in this area continues.

South of Martan-Chu an advance unit of the Russians was destroyed. The unit was moving from Martan-Chu (Urus-Martan District) towards the foothills in order to block up the Chechen units. The mujahideen attacked the enemy's column. Face-to-face fighting lasted for about 8 hours.
According to the Chechen side during this clash the advance of the Russians was halted. At least 90 Russians were killed. 7 armoured vehicles were destroyed or damaged. On the Chechen side 2 mujahideen died and 9 were wounded.

The Russian air force continues to bomb the villages in the south of Chechnya massively.
Due to the impact of a so-called vacuum bomb on the cellar of a house in the village of Aslanbek Sheripov (Shatoy District) 29 people died and 50 were wounded.
Zonakh, Shatoy, Borzoy, Makhkety, Ulus-Kert, Duba-Yurt, Khorsenoy, and other villages were also bombed intensively.
It is estimated that not less than 130 people were killed during the last 24 hours.

In the region of Duba-Yurt the combat actions aren't letting up for a single minute. After one of their usually unsuccessful assaults the Russians bomb and shell the village intensively - and then attempt another assault.
According to the Chechen command the Russians are trying to bypass the Chechen positions and to attack their flanks from the direction of the River Vashtar. The Russians have stationed heavy artillery on one of the commanding heights.
The Chechen units are applying the tactics of mobile defense and are attacking the enemy vigorously: yesterday evening special units of the mujahideen attacked north of Duba-Yurt. The fighting lasted for about two hours. A Russian equipment depot was destroyed and 3 armoured vehicles were knocked out. Several dozen grenades launched at the mujahideen exploded in the centre of a crowd of Russians. At least 70 Russians were killed.

Inhabitants of the foothills of Chechnya report mass murders of civilians in the occupied territories. Executions are reported from Gekhi-Chu, Martan-Chu, Roshni-Chu, Alkhazurovo, Urus-Martan, Tangi-Chu, and Goyskoye. The people in these villages aren't able to bury their dead in the cemeteries because the Russians often open artillery fire on funeral processions. So they are forced to bury their dead relatives in the yards of their houses and in their gardens. They also don't dare to leave their houses to get firewood, so they have to use the wood of fruit-trees and fences, even their furniture, to heat their houses.

Sabtu, 19hb FEB, 2000

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fri, February 18th, 2000

Kavkaz-Tsentr reports:

Why are the Russians closing Dzhokhar to its citizens and to journalists? They justify this measure by referring to the fact that the town has been mined. But in the first Chechen war the danger of mines did not cause them to restrict the freedom of movement of the local people.
According to the Chechen vice-president Akhmed Zakaye, through this move the Russians, on the one hand, are trying to hide their own disastrous casualties in the battle for Dzhokhar and, on the other hand, want to veil the mass executions of civilians in the town. Zakayev says that the Russians lost 7, 000-8, 000 men and killed about 35, 000 civilians during the combat actions in Dzhokhar. After the mujahideen left the town the Russians shot about 1, 500 civilians.
People who have escaped from the Chechen capital report continuing plundering and executions.

The Chechen armed forces are moving into the mountains.
The Chechen command has made it known that the units of the Chechen armed forces are withdrawing into the mountains while fighting against the Russians.
The Russian aggressors are moving towards Khattuni and Tovzeni. The Chechen mujahideen are holding their positions in the wooded parts of the mountainous area. Several units of the mujahideen continue to attack the advancing enemy, inflicting severe casualties on them. During the last four days near Elistanzhi and Khattuni the Russians lost up to 230 men and 15 armoured vehicles were knocked out.
The Chechen mujahideen lost 4 fighters, and 8 were wounded. Near Duba-Yurt in two days more than 100 Russians were killed. The Chechens lost 6 men, and 17 were wounded.
The Chechen side has announced a regrouping of the Chechen armoured forces and a change of their defensive positions in several regions.

Movladi Udugov has rigorously denied Russian reports that he or ex-President Yandarbiyev is planning to capture a Russian plane at an Ingush airport. He has attacked these reports as common propaganda manoeuvres of the Russian FSB.

© Scoop Media