Seven hunters found shot dead in North Caucasus - Summary

Sat, 18 Dec 2010

Moscow - Seven hunters have been found shot dead in a forest in the volatile North Caucasus region, officials said on Saturday.

They blamed the ambush on four "bandits," the term usually used by Russian officials to describe Islamist militants who are fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in Russia's southern provinces.

The attackers, armed with machine guns and pistols, reportedly stole two of the hunters' cars.

Initial media reports had spoken of eight dead. Two men survived the attack, a spokesman for the agency investigating the killings told the Interfax news agency.

The bodies were found in a shelter in the Kabardino- Balkaria republic, which is part of Russia.

Hunters have in the past been killed for their weapons by the underground militants.

The area is considered a safe haven for the Islamist terrorists in their battle with Kremlin forces, but is also home to numerous criminal gangs.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/358808,north-caucasus-summary.html.