2004 Avtury raid

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Avtury raid


caption=
partof=Second Chechen War
place=Avtury, Chechnya
date=August 12-13, 2004
result=Rebel victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=?
commander2=Suleiman Elmurzayev
Abu Hafs al-Urduni
strength1=?
strength2=25 to 150 (possibly 60-70)
casualties1=At least 18-22 killed and 12 captured
Rebels claimed 45-50+ killed
casualties2=At least 5 killed, 11 injured and 2 missing
Federals claimed 15-20+ killed
casualties3=2 civilians injured
campaign=Campaignbox Second Chechen War (guerilla phase)

The Avtury raid took place on on August 12-13, 2004, when a large group of the Chechen rebel guerillas entered the large Chechen village of Avtury.

The attack

After entering the village, separatist guerillas first blocked all entrances to the village and then attacked and seized the buildings of the security forces, inflicting heavy casualties on the defenders. A dozen members of pro-Moscow Chechen police and militia forces who had run out of ammunition were captured at dawn in their base. A car was also ambushed on the road to Avtury and all its passengers were killed. [http://www.memo.ru/eng/memhrc/texts/4bul07.shtml FROM THE CONFLICT ZONE: BULLETIN OF HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER “MEMORIAL”] , Memorial, July 2004]

As the rebels retreated and the government reinforcements arrived, the fighting reportedly continued in the forest outside the village later on the second day.

According to the government sources, at least 18 pro-Moscow fighters and 15 rebels died in the village (20 according to Ramzan Kadyrov). [ [http://newsfromrussia.com/accidents/2004/07/14/54955.html Battle at Avtury settlement in Chechnya lasted almost twenty-four hours] , "Pravda", 14.07.2004] Initially it was claimed eight rebels were killed, [ [http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/13-07-2004/6158-chechen-0 18 soldiers of Chechen special forces killed by rebels] , "Pravda", 13.07.2004] and only one body was found at the site according to Memorial. The government declined to disclose the republican and federal losses during the fighting outside of Avtury.

The separatists said they lost five men killed and two missing, while the Russian losses were estimated as at least 45 to 50 killed (including 15-20 commandos during a fight in the forest near Avtury) and dozens wounded. [ [http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2004/07/14/2989_print.html What happened in Avtury?] , Kavkaz Center, 14 July 2004]

ee also

*2004 Nazran raid
*2004 Grozny raid

References