NALCHIK. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Alexander Khloponin, presidential envoy in the Northern Caucasus Federal District, has proposed closing the Prielbrusye resorts during a counter-terrorist operation.
"First of all, we should do everything possible to ensure people's safety. I am asking you to stop receiving tourists coming to resorts for the period of the counter-terrorist operation," Khloponin said while meeting with the public of the Elbrus district of Kabardino-Balkaria in the city of Tyrnyauz on Monday.
"Stop bringing tourists here. Take a pause," Khloponin said.
Khloponin said he has come Tyrnyauz with Kabardino-Balkaria's President Arsen Kanokov "to understand what is going on in this wonderful republic that makes us introduce a counter-terrorism operation and put soldiers every 100 meters [on the read leading to Prielbrusye] here."
"Arsen Kanokov and I will soon be meeting with the Russian president and I would like to understand what is going on in Kabardino-Balkaria," Khloponin said.
On Friday evening a Gazelle carrying tourists from Moscow came under fire in Kabardino-Balkaria. The attackers fled from the scene of the crime. Three people died in the attack and two tourists were hospitalized with wounds.
A cable car on the slope of Mt. Elbrus was blown up early on Saturday. Nobody was hurt.
On Saturday Ramazan Friyev, the administration head of Khasania, a suburb of Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, was killed. The assailants came to the Khasania gym and opened automatic fire at Friyev.
In addition a vehicle filled with explosives equivalent to 70 kilograms of TNT was rendered useless Saturday night near Mt. Elbrus.