The Alkhan-Yurt massacre was the December 1999 incident in the village of Alkhan-Yurt near the Chechen [[Capital capital Grozny involving Russian troops under command of general Vladimir Shamanov. The villagers claimed approximately 41 civilians were killed in the spree, while the human rights groups confirmed and documented 17 incidents of murder and three incidents of rape. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), it was not an isolated incident, as Russian troops have been systematically looting villages and towns under their control.