An explosion, carried out by a suicide bomber, killed four high-ranking police officers and two bystanders outside a concert hall in Grozny on Sunday, July 26.  According to witnesses, police officers approached the bomber as he was attempting to enter the concert hall where nearly 800 people had gathered. The incident is the second suicide attack to occur since the Kremlin lifted the counter-terrorist operation regime in Chechnya. As reported by the Caucasian Knot, over the 100 days since the end of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya, there has been a significant rise in murders and abductions in Chechnya compared with the same period last year. Just days before the attack in Grozny, Chechen authorities carried out a major operation in the town of Goiti, during which six militants were killed.

 

Also this week, Akhmed Zakayev, the representative of the Republic of Ichkeria and Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, chairman of the Chechen parliament, held talks in Oslo, Norway. Following the meeting, sanctioned by President of Chechnya, Zakayev announced a ceasefire on behalf of the separatist government, on August 1. Although experts express skepticism that the cease-fire will have any impact on escalating militant activity in Chechnya, the meeting between a Kadyrov’s envoy and a representative of the separatist government in exile, suggests that Chechnya’s president may be searching for unusual allies in curtailing militants’ activity in the republic.

 

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Violence continues to plague Ingushetia as an explosion outside a local Interior Ministry building injured two servicemen and two civilians. In a separate incident, four militants were killed when an explosive device exploded in their vehicle, according to Ingush authorities.

 

Ingushetia has been ravaged by violence with almost daily attacks on authorities and rising abductions and reports of torture by members of the security services and police. Ingush opposition leader Magomed Khazbiyev called on the Kremlin to take immediate action to prevent a “humanitarian and economic” crisis in the republic citing lawlessness, graft, and killings by authorities as the main factors exacerbating the situation.

 

Earlier in the week, authorities claimed that Batir Albakov, who had been abducted and missing for days, was killed during a shootout with authorities. There were visible signs of torture and abuse on the victim’s body according to relatives of the victim.

 

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A vigil held for Natalya Estemirova, a prominent human rights activist abducted in Grozny and later found dead in neighboring Ingushetia, was broken up by Moscow police when more than the sanctioned number of participants showed up to the peaceful memorial. Approximately 150 mourners showed up to the event which was only sanctioned for 30 people. The organizer of the vigil and employee of the human rights organization Memorial was arrested and held for two hours.

 

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