GROZNY, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - The March 27 murder of nine peaceful residents of the Duba-Yurt settlement, Chechnya, was perpetrated by the gangs of Rapani Khalilov (subordinate to Basayev) and Akhmed Avdorkhanov (subordinate to Maskhadov). RIA Novosti learnt this today from spokesman for the regional operative staff of the North Caucasus counter-terrorist operation, Colonel Ilya Shabalkin.
In his words, the 30-strong gangs of the so-called "field commanders" Khalilov and Avdorkhanov committed this inhuman action to intimidate residents of the Duba-Yurt settlement on March 27.
At night, the bandits kidnapped and murdered nine residents of the settlement. The police discovered the bodies of the victims on April 9 near the Serzhen-Yurt settlement of the Shali district, noted Mr. Shabalkin.
According to Chechen law-enforcers, the murder came as vengeance for the victims' refusal to provide food to the bandits.
According to the operative reports, this was why the bandits were instructed by their leaders to carry out this operation, the spokesman said.
