Galashki ambush
Encyclopedia
Galashki ambush took place of May 11, 2000, when the separatist militants from the group of Shamil Basayev
, led by a Galashki native Ruslan Khuchbarov
, attacked and destroyed a convoy of the Russian Interior Ministry paramilitary forces in the Republic of Ingushetia
. The incident was the first major act of violence linked to the Second Chechen War
in Ingushetia and the first major rebel raid outside the neighbouring Chechnya
since war began in 1999.
According to the Russian sources, in the convoy there were 22 Internal Troops
servicemen from Altai Krai
, returning aboard two military trucks to Vladikavkaz
, having completed a tour of duty in Ingushetia. At about 12 am, at a highway near the village of Galashki
, a group of rebels located in the woods overlooking the road suddenly opened fire on them with grenade launchers and machine guns (some sources also mention mortar and sniper fire), disabling the first truck and then quickly obliterating the whole convoy. Following their attack, the rebels managed to escape the pursuit and vanished into the forest near the village of Bamut in Chechnya.
According to the Chechen separatist website Kavkaz Center
, three heavy trucks and two BTR
armored vehicles were destroyed, while "not less than 40" Russian soldiers were killed by an unspecified unit of fighters from the Southwestern Front of the Chechen Armed Forces and a group of Caucasian
volunteers.
Shamil Basayev
Shamil Salmanovich Basayev was a Chechen militant Islamist and a leader of the Chechen rebel movement.Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against the Russian troops for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal...
, led by a Galashki native Ruslan Khuchbarov
Ruslan Khuchbarov
Ruslan Tagirovich Khuchbarov , sometimes spelled Khochubarov, was an Ingush man presumed to be the Islamic militant nicknamed "Polkovnik" notorious for his leading role in the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis...
, attacked and destroyed a convoy of the Russian Interior Ministry paramilitary forces in the Republic of Ingushetia
Ingushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
. The incident was the first major act of violence linked to the Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
in Ingushetia and the first major rebel raid outside the neighbouring Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
since war began in 1999.
According to the Russian sources, in the convoy there were 22 Internal Troops
Internal Troops
The Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs ; alternatively translated as "Interior " is a paramilitary gendarmerie-like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor countries, particularly, in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan...
servicemen from Altai Krai
Altai Krai
Altai Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It borders with, clockwise from the south, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul...
, returning aboard two military trucks to Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz
-Notable structures:In Vladikavkaz, there is a guyed TV mast, tall, built in 1961, which has six crossbars with gangways in two levels running from the mast structure to the guys.-Twin towns/sister cities:...
, having completed a tour of duty in Ingushetia. At about 12 am, at a highway near the village of Galashki
Galashki
Galashki is a village in Sunzhensky District of the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia, located on the left bank of the Sunzha River near the border with the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania...
, a group of rebels located in the woods overlooking the road suddenly opened fire on them with grenade launchers and machine guns (some sources also mention mortar and sniper fire), disabling the first truck and then quickly obliterating the whole convoy. Following their attack, the rebels managed to escape the pursuit and vanished into the forest near the village of Bamut in Chechnya.
According to the Chechen separatist website Kavkaz Center
Kavkaz Center
The Kavkaz Center is a privately run website by pro-Chechen which aims to be "a Chechen internet agency which is independent, international and Islamic" that "does not represent the viewpoint of any state structures"...
, three heavy trucks and two BTR
BTR
BTR may refer to:* BTR plc, formerly BTR Industries, one of the predecessor companies of Invensys plc* BTR Aerospace Group* BTR Industries* BTR-EMS-AKG Janakeeya Vedi, a political group in India...
armored vehicles were destroyed, while "not less than 40" Russian soldiers were killed by an unspecified unit of fighters from the Southwestern Front of the Chechen Armed Forces and a group of Caucasian
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
volunteers.