Firefight breaks out in Grozny

By bne IntelliNews December 4, 2014

bne IntelliNews -

 

A firefight between law enforcement units and militants broke out in Grozny, the capital of Russia's restless constituent republic of Chechnya, in the early hours of December 4.

Militant fighters were reported holed up in Grozny's 'House of Press' where some local state media outlets are based. According to Ramzan Kadyrov, president of Chechnya, on his Instagram account, five policemen and seven militants have been killed in the fighting, with no civilian casualties.

Kadyrov wrote that fighting started when a car containing militants was apprehended in Grozny, after local law enforcement authorities received information that an attack was being planned for December 12, Russia's constitution day. The militants then managed to take up positions in the House of Press, Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov also wrote that reports that a large group of militant fighters had entered Grozny were false.

Earlier Russia's national anti-terrorism committee said that there were three cars containing militants.

At midnight, when the fighting in Grozny started, the motorcade of Russian President Vladimir Putin was seen entering the Kremlin in Moscow, apparently in response to the news from Grozny, which many observers took to indicate an emergency. Putin  delivers his annual address to parliament on December 4.

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