Caucasian scholars name reasons for armed attacks in Chechnya

Armed attacks in Chechnya are held amid glorification of rioters like Abdullakh Anzorov, dissatisfaction with the local authorities and the expansion of a new network associated with the "Islamic State" (IS), a terrorist organization banned in Russia by the court, analysts believe, adding that, however, the poor effect from such attacks indicates that they are committed by non-professional groupings.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 28, in Grozny, an attack was committed on inspectors of the patrol-and-post service. The attackers – two brothers who had moved to Chechnya from Ingushetia – were shot dead.

A network is being established in Northern Caucasus that will communicate with the IS, Akhmet Yarlykapov, a Caucasian expert, believes. Such incidents occur even amid potential repressions against attackers' relatives, the expert has noted, at the same time not singling Chechnya out of other "hot regions" in terms of the increased terrorist activity.

The increase in the number of armed attacks in Chechnya may have to do with the heroization of Abdullakh Anzorov, Vera Mironova, a researcher at the Harvard University, has not excluded. She has marked the weak organizational level and zero effect of such actions, and also pointed to the emotional component, which is likely to prevail in such actions.

The sudden growth in the number of attacks may have to do with the economic situation in the republic amid the pandemic, since authorities' measures were tougher in Chechnya than in other Russian regions, Neil Hauer, a Canadian analyst, believes.

The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as dissatisfaction with the authorities, could have a great influence on the growth in the number of attacks on law enforcers, said Sergey Goncharov, the president of the International Association of Veterans of the "Alpha" Antiterrorist Unit.