Caucasian Front of al Qaeda under the command of the Kabardino-Balkaria Wahhabi cell claimed the Nalchik attack

Claims death of 110 Russian Troops

DEBKAfile Intelligence

October 14, 2005

Sweeping through the provincial capital of Nalchik, they attacked federal Russian institutions and Russian forces, whom they call kafir, meaning infidels. With the CFQ were also rebel units from Chechnya and Circassia. The al Qaeda statement claimed the organization has enough men on the ground “to fulfill its mission” – a hint of more attacks to come on Nalchik. It also claimed the deaths of 110 Russian troops in the first stage of its assault compared with 4 terrorist losses.