Total of 61 militants destroyed in Kabardino-Balkaria

RUSSIA, NALCHIK, Oct.13. A total of 61 militants were destroyed in the course of antiterrorist operations in the North-Caucasian territory of Kabardino-Balkaria Thursday, Russia’s Deputy Interior Minister Andrei Novikov said.

The figure includes the seven militants killed in the republic’s Chegem district after they had gotten there on a truck.

Earlier reports said 50 militants had been killed in the regional capital Nalchik alone.

“Preventive measures that were launched in Kabardino-Balkaria September 10 helped frustrate the militants’ plans,” Novikov said.

“In the course of an all-round search operation in different parts of Nalchik, we discovered several caches with weaponry and munitions,” Novikov said. “We managed to avert a much heavier aftermath of those events.”

He thanked Kabardino-Balkarian policemen for the courage they had displayed and for the readiness to rebuff the militants, Itar-Tass reported. V.A.