Нальчик

"Chechen rebel forces took responsibility for the assault on Nalchik, capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, that killed scores of people and left parts of the city of 235,000 in flames.

[...]"Chechnya is the main hotbed of tensions, but these conflicts erupting in other republics also have local roots," says Irina Zvigelskaya, deputy director of the independent Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Moscow. "There are underground groups around the region, and it's a big question to what extent they maintain links with one another."

[...]"Some experts say Thursday's events show the Kremlin's strategy of imposing tough, loyal local leaders - being implemented in the region by Putin's personal emissary Dmitri Kozak - has clearly failed to bring results."

Chechen rebel attack fuels growing unrest, Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 ottobre 2005