The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) confirmed at a special briefing today that Akhmed Chatayev is among the suspects who was killed during the special operation in the Isani district of Tbilisi on November 22. Head of the Public Relations Service of SSSG, Nino Giorgobiani, says Chataev blew himself up during the operation. Chataev, a Russian citizen of ethnic Chechen origin, is one of the masterminds behind a terrorist attack on the Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey in 2016 that killed 45 people.
Three suspects were killed and one is in detention following the 22-hour special anti-terrorist operation. One Georgian special serviceman was killed in the operation; four other employees of Georgia’s security bodies were injured and in stable condition.
The SSSG says there is an on-going investigation into how the terrorists managed to enter Georgia.
"With the help of American colleagues in the investigative actions and expertise, including DNA and fingerprints analysis, so-called dactyloscopic analysis, it was concluded that one of the liquidated persons during the special operation was Akhmed Chatayev. The members of the criminal group did not have any official identity documents. Our international partners are involved in the identification of the indicated persons.
Within the framework of the investigation, it will be discovered how the members of the criminal group entered the country and what connection they have with other criminal parties,” Giorgobiani said at the briefing.
Giorgobiani says law enforcers spent several hours negotiating the surrender of the suspects during the special operation.
"Based on information provided by international partners, the State Security Service launched a special investigation to neutralize the criminal group. One person was detained within the special operation. It is noteworthy that at the initial stage of the special operation, for several hours the Counterterrorist Department of the State Security Service was conducting negotiations persuading the criminal group to surrender. In parallel to the negotiations, local residents were evacuated from the buildings and the adjacent territories. During the lengthy and intensive operation, lives and health of the public were not in danger,” said Giorgobiani.
For further details of the case and information about Ahmed Chatayev here.