Gunmen kidnap 4 civilians from hospital before escaping through snowy mountains. In a brazen incursion, up to 50 heavily armed Chechen rebels killed nine Russian border guards in neighboring Dagestan Monday and kidnapped four civilians from a hospital before escaping over treacherous snow-swept mountain passes. Coming just days after at least 50 people died in two suicide bombings in Russia that the Kremlin blamed on Chechen rebels, Monday’s incursion was a reminder of just how poorly Moscow controls war-torn Chechnya and the volatile region it borders, despite President Vladimir Putin’s “normalization” campaign for the breakaway republic. Armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-mounted grenade launchers, the rebels — 25 to 50 men, according to various accounts — entered the quaint western Dagestani village of Shauri before dawn, firing shots to frighten the residents, and took over the local hospital, Russian officials said. Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.