Two imams detained in Ingushetia over alleged links to attacks on security forces

On 10 April, security forces in Ingushetia reportedly detained two well-known imams — Mukhammad Tamaskhanov from Nazran and Magomed Sultygov from Karabulak. They are reportedly suspected of helping prepare attacks against law enforcement officers in 2023.

The Telegram channel Mash Gor was the first to publish information about the detentions, along with a video allegedly filmed during the official operation. The footage shows armed security officers and what appears to be a police van. The channel claimed the video depicts the moment Tamaskhanov and Sultygov  were taken into custody.

The detentions were later confirmed by Ingush human rights advocate Magomed Mutsolgov, who wrote about it on his social media.

Later that same day, citing local sources and online community pages, Mutsolgov reported that both Tamaskhanov and Sultygov had been released.

As of publication, no official bodies in the republic have commented on the situation.

According to posts by the Telegram channel Rozysk Ingushetiya, which is considered to be close to security structures, Tamaskhanov and Sultygov are suspected of having prior knowledge of militants’ plans, including actions allegedly organised by Amirhan Gurazhev and his associates. They are also suspected of discussing possible fundraising for the group under the guise of charity.

Another Telegram channel, Sapa Kavkaz, citing its own sources, claimed that criminal cases have already been opened against both Tamaskhanov and Sultygov, and that they were released only on the condition that they do not leave the area.

There has been no official confirmation of these claims.

The accusations against Tamaskhanov and Sultygov come against the backdrop of an ongoing investigation into a string of attacks on law enforcement officers that occurred in Ingushetia in late March and early April 2023. On the night of 27–28 March, unknown assailants opened fire on a police checkpoint at the border with North Ossetia, injuring two officers. A few days later, on 3 April, police officers in the Malgobek district were fired upon. On 5 April, in the village of Zyazikov-Yurt in the same district, another shootout occurred — three officers were killed and eight more wounded.

On 15 April, Ingushetian authorities announced the killing of four suspects, including Gurazhev, who was named as the group’s leader. Another special operation took place in March 2024 in Karabulak, during which security forces also reported killing individuals allegedly linked to the same series of attacks from 2023.

Six killed in ‘counter-terrorist operation’ in Ingushetia

Six people were killed in a shootout in Ingushetia on Saturday, which local authorities described as a ‘counter-terrorist operation’. While Head of Ingushetia Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov claimed that only ‘militants’ were killed in the shootout, local news Telegram channel Baza wrote on Sunday that one of the six was a civilian passerby. They added that, according to their information, three law enforcement officers were also injured. Local Telegram channels reported on Saturday evening that gun

OC MediaTata Shoshiashvili