Georgian special forces in operation near Dagestan. 14 dead (upd3)
(BRUSSELS2) Eleven “saboteursand three members of the Georgian special forces were killed today (August 29) in a border region of Georgia with Dagestan (Russia). Five Georgian officers were also injured during this operation. Two of the three Georgians who died in combat were special forces officers under the Interior Ministry. The third was a military doctor working for the special forces of the Ministry of Defense.
Situation closely observed in the European Union
* The European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) which is deployed in Georgia initially did not comment publicly on the situation. Asked by B2 on Wednesday evening, one of its managers told me that " EUMM has been kept informed by the Georgian authorities. In close cooperation with the other actors of the European Union, the mission is currently following the sequence of events very closely”. We can also add that the Mission was more profiled to observe the area with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, subject of the events of the summer of 2008. And, it is not normally deployed in this mountainous area, rather isolated, located northeast of Tbilisi (see map below). Thus, no observer has officially been sent on site. Point confirmed by Catherine Ashton's spokesperson whom I interviewed during the midday briefing on Thursday (August 30): " The mandate of the mission (EUMM) does not cover this region. We therefore did not send observers on site. (But) we are worried. We are closely monitoring the situation. We try to see with the authorities on the spot exactly what happened. »
A hostage-taking followed by an intervention by special forces ?
The "incident" had started the day before, Tuesday, August 28. An armed group of around twenty people is located in Georgian territory, on the border with the Republic of Dagestan (Russia), from the neighboring district of Tsuntinsky. The forces of the Ministry of the Interior then immediately set off in pursuit, until they sealed off the mountainous area - the Lopota gorges - where the rebels were seen. Order was given to the special forces to intervene. During the exchanges, in circumstances which are not yet clear, 14 people were killed: 11saboteursand 3 members of the Georgian special forces were killed. Five Georgian officers were also injured during this operation. Six activists would still be “circledand should be arrested very soon, according to the Georgian Minister of the Interior.
* On Thursday (August 30), the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the " main phase of the special operation was coming to an end. 11 bodies of members of armed groups were found. Some of them are citizens of the North Caucasus Russian Federation. "And to add that the" funeral ceremonies (of these) were organized according to their religious rites. ". However, the operations are not completely finished. We “Does indeed suspect that several of the members of the armed group are injured and are hiding in the gorges. The police continue the search operations. »
The armed group reportedly took three groups hostage, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. A first group of 5 people, missing for several days in the village of Lapankuri, in the east of the country, were found safe and sound on Tuesday evening. The second and third groups have also reportedly been released, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Shota Khizanishvili said this afternoon, without giving further details. The released hostages meanwhile told Georgian forces “to have been threatened with death in the event of resistance or escape».
Bandits, provocation, terrorists?
On the Russian side, we deny having observed any border crossing. " The Border Service did not register any cases of crossing the Dagestani section of the Russian-Georgian border “, said the spokesman of the service Vadim Chibaïev.
Georgian President Saakashvili appeared on Wednesday evening (August 29) on television saying that Georgia will not let " unrest, instability and violence which marks the North Caucasian Russian spread in Georgia. " The actions of those who killed our special forces soldiers will be neutralized by the use of all methods. We will use all measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future. ", did he declare. " I think it will be a very good lesson for those who want to repeat these kinds of incidents in the future. » But the Georgian president was careful, it seems, not to directly implicate Russia or a possible infiltration of Dagestan.
NB: This attack comes as a moderate Dagestani Muslim leader, Sheikh (spiritual guide) Said-Afandi was killed yesterday in a suicide bombing and the past few days have witnessed several clashes in neighboring Dagestan, between Islamist rebels and Russian forces. It also comes as the campaign for the legislative and presidential elections is in full swing in Georgia (one scheduled for October 2012, the other in 2013) and especially for the 2013 presidential elections.
* Updated Wednesday August 29 at 21 and 22 p.m. (reactions from the President of Georgia and EUMM Georgia) and August 30 (details on the intervention, statement by Catherine Ashton's spokesperson, intertitles). Written with the active help of Damien Kerlouet