A rchive Date
[ 26-12-2001 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Russia ]
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Russian forces hit rebels
By YURI BAGROV-- Associated Press
Wednesday, December 26, 2001
VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia (AP) - Russian forces struck rebel positions in isolated mountain regions of Chechnya with ground-attack jets and bombers, officials said Wednesday.
Helicopters flew more than 30 sorties to support ground forces during the offensive, which destroyed a large mountain base and a transmitter, and triggered rockslides to block rebel movements, the Russian news agency Interfax reported the military as saying.
In other fighting, seven Russian soldiers and two policemen were killed in rebel attacks, the pro-Moscow Chechen administration said. Meanwhile, federal troops detained more than 50 people suspected of rebel activitiy in three villages - Kurchaloi, Avtury and Shali.
Russia has been fighting separatist rebels in Chechnya since 1999 following raids into the Russian republic of Dagestan and a series of apartment bombings in which about 300 Russians died. An earlier, 20-month war ended in 1996 with de-facto independence for the province.
On Wednesday, a leading Russian defense official said federal forces had succeeded in splintering rebel bands and thinning their ranks.
Col. Gen. Nikolai Kormiltsev, deputy defense minister and head of Russia's ground forces, said the campaign was now focused on capturing rebel leaders, some of whom are now living outside of Chechnya but still visit the province.
"We have information about all of their movements but unfortunately we get it two or three hours later than needed to take immediate action," he said in comments carried by the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Russian troops have no plans to launch large-scale operations in Chechnya over the winter and have withdrawn 8,000 men from the restive region since the summer, Kormiltsev said.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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