‘Enemies of Allah’ – Chechen leader Kadyrov slams ‘knife attackers’ who killed police officer and left another injured

The leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has struck out at relatives of two men who his administration say were killed during a fatal attack on police officers in the regional capital, Grozny.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the head of the Republic criticized family members of the deceased who had sought to deny their involvement in the incident. “One of our comrades was violently killed and another was wounded,” he said. “The enemies of Allah have committed this act of violence, and still their relatives think that it is acceptable to make irresponsible statements.”

Earlier that day, relatives of the two men demanded the authorities grant them access to their bodies in order to prepare them for burial. A spokesman for those involved, Sarazhdin Sultygov, insisted that “those killed in Grozny are our people. If they really were terrorists, then publish evidence. Surely there would be a video?”

Police say the men were shot dead in the city center on Monday, during an assault on officers that left one official dead and another injured. Both suspects were said to be from the neighboring Republic of Ingushetia, and had moved to Chechnya several years prior.

The majority-Muslim region has been historically known for a series of bloody wars, with a number of separatist leaders agitating for a break away from Russia. However, over the past two decades, the situation has stabilized and Grozny has sought to affirm its ties with Moscow.

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