Murdalov and Israilov left Chechnya two days before attack on policemen

Usman Murdalov and Sulim Israilov, killed in attack on road-and-patrol (DPS) employees near Moscow, had assured their families that they went to Moscow in search of employment, the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 17, two young men, armed with axes, attacked the DPS post in the Moscow Region. As a result, two policemen were wounded, and the attackers were shot dead and later identified as Usman Murdalov and Sulim Israilov, natives of Chechnya.

After the attack, the "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia by the court, declared that the attackers were its supporters. This was the first statement of the IS about involvement in an attack committed outside Northern Caucasus.

Murdalov and Israilov had never been brought to the police; and the motives of their attack are unclear, a source from the Chechen MIA told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He added that "on August 15 the young people left for Moscow by bus from Grozny, having told their relatives that they were going to work there."

According to his version the IS could take responsibility for the attack without being in any way associated with the attackers.

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