Chechen MIA: Vadalov was involved in liquidation of dozens of Chechen militiamen

Aslambek Vadalov, appointed by Dokku Umarov to be his successor as the "Amir" of the "Imarat Kavkaz", created by Umarov, is one of the most impudent militants' field commanders and is guilty of murdering dozens of law enforcers, the Chechen MIA asserts. President of the republic Ramzan Kadyrov has stated that operations aimed to find and liquidate Umarov, Vadalov and other militants' leaders will be continued.

"Aslambek Vadalov is one of the most impudent and irreconcilable bandit leaders. He's guilty of dozens of ruined lives, and not only of power agents, but of civilians either," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by a source in local power agencies.

According to his story, in 2004 Vadalov's grouping raided his native village Ishkhoi-Yurt, Gudermes District. "Then, his militants blocked all the village roads and started shooting dead everyone who presented militiamen's IDs to them, having thus killed ten persons," said the source.

In 2008, according to his story, Vadalov's militants made another attack. "In Benoi-Vedeno village, Nozhai-Yurt District, they killed three persons, burnt down five houses, belonging to law enforcers' families, and several cars," the source asserted.

It is remarkable that back in the winter of 2007 the local power agencies reported that Aslambek Vadalov was liquidated in a successful special operation.

Meanwhile, one of Ishkhoi-Yurt villagers told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that at the very start of the current military campaign Aslambek Vadalov "came back home and wanted to start a peaceful life." "In the beginning of this war, when they announced amnesty to militants, Aslambek returned to Ishkhoi-Yurt and lived in his house. But then militaries and local power agents used to rush into his house, and he left for the forest again. Actually, power agents forced him to take up arms again," the source believes.

President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has already commented the news about the change of the leaders of the armed underground in Northern Caucasus, treated it as a farce.

"The information that one 'supervisor' replaced the other one is just propaganda. There's no difference who of them bears this or that name; this is just an attempt to draw attention to the terrorist's personality and to create visibility of the presence of some organized forces governed by some command structure," Mr Kadyrov said on August 2.