(Image source: RT)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

At least four people are dead after Islamist rebels stormed the parliament of Russia’s Chechen republic early Tuesday morning. International observers are calling it the latest sign Russia is unable to quell an insurgency in its North Caucasus region.

After two wars there in the 1990’s, Russia claimed victory over insurgents who say they want a Muslim state independent of Russia and governed by Sharia law.

Tuesday’s attack saw between three and five gunmen making their way into the heavily fortified parliament compound in the capital of Grozny.

Reporting via phone from Moscow, a Russian correspondent tells France 24, the official response was swift.

“Basically soon enough the territory was sealed off and a SWAT team was dispatched. Civilians were evacuated from the territory of the complex. Within a few moments gunfire stopped and the situation appeared to be contained.”


Sky News reports the attack was meant to have an impact -- and that the official response might not be enough.

OFFICIAL: “As always the militants failed. They were intercepted by interior ministry troops. Situations like today occur very rarely. Here in Chechnya it is stable and safe.” ...
REPORTER: “But this attack shows it’ll take more than words and shows of force to get the increasing Islamic insurgency under control.”

A BBC report suggests the government response to the attack seems to contradict reality.


“The Russian Interior Minister - who happens to be in Grozny on a scheduled visit - he says that this was an usual event for Chechnya in recent times. He says Chechnya is becoming stable and more secure. Looking at the situation across the North Caucuses region, you have to say it doesn’t look very secure at the moment.”


Russia’s RT says the militants are believed to have links to Al Qaeda -- and the attack left three police officers killed and 17 others injured. A correspondent on the ground in Grozny looks at conflicting reports emerging from the attacks.

“There have been conflicting reports about the situation in Chechnya, like there were reports about suicide bombings near parliament, and this was denied later on by the ministry of internal affairs. There were also were reports that one of the militants escaped and took hostages, and this was also denied. There were reports that one of the members of parliament has been hurt and we haven’t received any information about this so far.”

Finally, an analyst tells The Moscow News the attacks are a blow Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov -- who promised to put an end to militant attacks in the region.  The analyst says Kadyrov’s hardline approach toward the militants might be reaching its limits of effectiveness.

“‘He has told Moscow so many times that he controls the situation, while people from the security forces say he cannot....If he dares to launch a military attack against them it will be very problematic ... I don’t know about a final decision, but he has little time to present a plan of action.’”


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