NationStates Jolt Archive

Early on Thursday, about 150 militants launched attacks at several facilities, including the buildings of the Interior Ministry and the FSB department, throughout the city.

The BBC's Emma Simpson in Moscow says this appears to have been an all-out attack on Nalchik's law enforcement and security services.

A local Interior Ministry source told Itar-Tass that rebels launched a "carefully planned" simultaneous attack on police stations, Russia's federal security forces, military and drugs-control offices as well as the airport.

A witness told the BBC she had seen the bodies of gunmen, soldiers and civilians in the streets. Earlier, regional President Arsen Kanokov said 12 civilians had died.

A third of the 150 rebels who took part in attacks had been killed, he told Itar-Tass news agency.

Five police officers had also died, Mr Putin's special envoy to the area, Dmitry Kozak, told Russian television.

Militants from nearby Chechnya are believed to be behind the attacks.

More at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4337100.stm

This reminds me of Chechnya's 1999 invasion of Dagestan, where they took on the Federal forces in the field, and got chased all the way back to Grozny, starting a second war with Russia.

OK, it makes a nice change from blowing up a school and a hospital, but attacking Interior Ministry bases? LOL, talk about ambitious. I'm sure the death toll will rise on both sides, from what I've been reading, the local police got overwhelmed, but it seems the Chechens have forgotten that urban warfare against Russian paramilitaries on their own terms is not a good idea. :rolleyes:

I can't see this being anything other than a setback - unless the survivors pull off something major, it's back to laying mines, and Chechnya can kiss the memory of its 1996-1999 independence goodbye. It may embolden the Iraqi resistance though, who may attempt to copy their spring offensive last year.

Suicide seems to be part of their plan. When they attacked the school in Beslan, they planned on not coming back. This seems to be more of the same.

While they may have been pwned, they were counting on it.

Suicide seems to be part of their plan. When they attacked the school in Beslan, they planned on not coming back. This seems to be more of the same.

While they may have been pwned, they were counting on it.
It strikes me that it's a waste of experience, though. Or rather, a refusal to gain any. When Russia invaded Chechnya in 1994, by 1996 the surviving rebels had enough experience to hold out, and force a political settlement. This time around, it seems they decided, screw it. The best insurgencies are the ones where people count on dying, but make plans to survive.

it seems the Chechens have forgotten that urban warfare against Russian paramilitaries on their own terms is not a good idea. :rolleyes:
Russian paramilitaries?

Nalchik is in Dagestan. The people living there are mostly Caucasian highlanders like the Chechenians themselves, but more sane. I bet the civilian population there has enough hunting rifles to fight off an army. Remember Beslan? The forces surrounding the school there weren't soldiers, they were mostly the paramilitaries and the armed parents of the children taken hostages.

Taking on them in their own city is a stupid thing to do indeed.

Russian paramilitaries?

Nalchik is in Dagestan.
Those areas are not exactly independent. That's the main reason for the existence of Russian Interior Ministry forces, to garrison areas whose loyalty is questionable. The Federal forces have bases all over the Caucasus, irrespective of whether or not the local governments have their own law and order apparatus.

Suicide seems to be part of their plan. When they attacked the school in Beslan, they planned on not coming back. This seems to be more of the same.

While they may have been pwned, they were counting on it.
I dunno, if they were planning on suicide they would probably have used a truck bomb or something like that. One of those would have been far more effective than any amount of armed militants. The fact that they used regularly armed militants shows that they were probably planning on coming back. Which seems a bit stupid. Shame about the soldiers and civvies who died, but good job on killing all those militants.

Russians pwn urban. They have since '43.

Best...title...EVAR!

I dunno, if they were planning on suicide they would probably have used a truck bomb or something like that. One of those would have been far more effective than any amount of armed militants. The fact that they used regularly armed militants shows that they were probably planning on coming back. Which seems a bit stupid. Shame about the soldiers and civvies who died, but good job on killing all those militants.

They do it this way, as opposed to a truck bomb, to make a statement.

They intend to die like men. They intend to show that they are fearless. They don't want to die like a truck-driving deliveryman.

They do it this way, as opposed to a truck bomb, to make a statement.

They intend to die like men. They intend to show that they are fearless. They don't want to die like a truck-driving deliveryman.

i believe the truck bomb in Beirut in 1983 against the Marine Base made a statement....

According to the FBI, it was the largest non-nuclear explosion they had ever seen... now THATS a statement.

They do it this way, as opposed to a truck bomb, to make a statement.

They intend to die like men. They intend to show that they are fearless. They don't want to die like a truck-driving deliveryman.
Even more importantly, they died as soldiers fighting for a cause, against the government/military - not killing children.

While I don't agree with their reasoning, at least with this bunch I can generally respect them & their methods. They attacked legitimate targets. They were "freedom fighters" (their idea of freedom anyway) not terrorists.

Even more importantly, they died as soldiers fighting for a cause, against the government/military - not killing children.

While I don't agree with their reasoning, at least with this bunch I can generally respect them & their methods. They attacked legitimate targets. They were "freedom fighters" (their idea of freedom anyway) not terrorists.
True, pointless and futile though it was, they went for the hardest military targets around.

True, pointless and futile though it was, they went for the hardest military targets around.

I personally don't have a problem with insurgents selectively attacking military or government targets. That's fair.

While we at least make the attempt to minimize civilian casualties (hence the overwhelming use of smart bombs, etc), they go out of their way to kill civilians at random.

By deliberately attacking military targets, at least they get some respect in my book.

...

Nalchik is in Dagestan. ...
Actually, in Kabardino-Balkaria.

I personally don't have a problem with insurgents selectively attacking military or government targets. That's fair.

While we at least make the attempt to minimize civilian casualties (hence the overwhelming use of smart bombs, etc), they go out of their way to kill civilians at random.

By deliberately attacking military targets, at least they get some respect in my book.
In my, too... Although I'd like to have some more information about their intentions.

When they attacked the school, half of the “Chechens” involved, were Arabs. It is very common to find Arab, Pakistani, Indonesian, even American Moslems fighting for “Their Ancient Homeland of Chechnya”. I wonder how many of these Guerillas were actually Chechen?

This is just another reason to nerf Russian Urban. Its not as bad as chinese inf, but come on! 5 russian inf to a couple mobs of chechnans?

When they attacked the school, half of the “Chechens” involved, were Arabs. It is very common to find Arab, Pakistani, Indonesian, even American Moslems fighting for “Their Ancient Homeland of Chechnya”. I wonder how many of these Guerillas were actually Chechen?
I know, the whole thing is as bad as in Israel, people from all over the place just showing up. :(

This is just another reason to nerf Russian Urban. Its not as bad as chinese inf, but come on! 5 russian inf to a couple mobs of chechnans?
:p