Russia's MIA reports 14 lost policemen in Grozny

In Grozny, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) claimed lives of 14 law enforcers, said the press centre of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that earlier the Russia's National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) reported 10 killed militants and 10 lost and 28 wounded power agents. Besides, a dead civilian was found under the rubbles of the House of Press.

Four policemen died in hospital from injuries in the afternoon, said Akhmed Dakaev, the director of the department for interaction with law enforcement and power bodies of the administration of the head and government of Chechnya.

The CTO regime was introduced in Grozny at night on December 4, after an attack on a group of unidentified persons on DPS (road-and-patrol service) policemen. Then, most of the attackers took refuge in the House of Press; some of them hid in School No. 20. Both buildings were blocked; and a large-scale special operation began. Today, the CTO regime was lifted. The attack on Grozny on December 4 was the fifth major militant attack undertaken on dwelling settlements of Northern Caucasus since 2004.

Today, during a sitting of the Collegium of the Russia's MIA, the Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev noted "the professionalism, courage and heroism of the policemen who perished in performance of their duties." The participants of the sitting honoured their memory with a minute of silence, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.