January 2005 Dagestan Raids

January 15, 2005 sieges in Daghestan
Part ofSecond Chechen War
Date January 15, 2005 Location MakhachkalaandKaspiysk,Daghestan Result Russian tactical victory
Belligerents
Russia Dagestan	Shariat Jamaat
Commanders and leaders
Arzulum Ilyasov†	Magomedzagir Akayev†
Strength
?	8
Casualties and losses
4 killed 1 wounded	6 killed 1 wounded and captured

January 15, 2005 siegeswere two raids of theRussiansecurity forces on a militantIslamistgroup'ssafehousesinDaghestan.At least four Russian commandos and six rebels died in the clashes, while one was captured. The group, calledShariat Jamaat,previously killed 29 members of the Daghestani department for fighting extremism and criminal terrorism, including its chiefAkhberdilav Akilov.

Sieges

Makhachkala

In the first incident, the government forces surrounded a group of five rebel fighters in a two-story house on theoutskirtsofMakhachkala,capital of Dagestan. For 17 hours, the rebels battled Russianspecial forcessupported byarmoured vehiclesand ahelicopter,killing one of eliteAlpha Groupcommandos and wounding another. In the end atankbelonging to theRussian Marinessmashed the remains of the burned and gutted house. The authorities claimed that among the five bodies recovered from the ruins was the Jennet leaderRasul Makasharipov,but it turned out to be incorrect when Makasharipov resurfaced four days later.

Kaspiysk

In a separate clash this day, special police task force stormed another house in Dagestan'sportofKaspiyskto arrest a separate group of militants. ThreeSOBRofficers were killed in the attempt, including group commanderColonelArzulum Ilyasov. One rebel was killed (50-year-old commander Magomedzagir Akayev) and one wounded and captured, while the third one escaped (according to some reports two were captured).

External links

• Dagestani officials avert major 'terror attacks’,ISN, 17 January 2005
• War breaks out in Russia's Dagestan,Pravda,18.01.2005
• Battle Hits Dagestan Capital,IWPR, 19-Jan-05
• SECURITY FORCES BATTLE MILITANTS IN DAGESTAN,The Jamestown Foundation, January 19, 2005