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Official says Chechen-Kalmyk conflict not ethnically motivated

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GROZNY, August 19 (RIA Novosti) - A senior Chechen official said the conflict between Kalmyks and Chechens in the Astrakhan Region in southern Russia was not politically or ethnically motivated.

"The conflict occurred over some routine misunderstanding and I am positive it will not spread," said Taus Dzhabrailov, the Chairman of Chechnya's State Council.

An ethnic Kalmyk, a member of the ethnic group living in the Republic of Kalmykia (population of 146,000), in the south of European Russia, was shot dead during a fight with several Chechens at a bar in the village of Yandyki. All of the involved were locals.

"After the funerals, about 300 villagers, mainly ethnic Kalmyks, staged unrests, attacking local Chechens and setting their homes on fire," a local police source said.

Five people were hospitalized with different injuries of various degrees. Six homes burned down and another two were damaged by the fire.

Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Shepel has been sent to investigate the incident, according to the local Prosecutor's Office.

A delegation from Chechnya has also left for the village to look into what happened.

More than 1,000 interior troops have been put on alert to ensure order in the region and 300 more troops have been assigned to a reserve.

One suspect was arrested on charges of hooliganism and another 11 people were arrested for administrative offences.

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