MAKHACHKALA, January 10 (AVN) - As many as 16 marines have been killed in Chechnya since the beginning of hostilities in the republic's mountainous districts, a source in the naval operative group headquarters in Dagestan told the Military News Agency.
Among the deceased are four officers, including a company commander, the source said.
According to him, the fiercest fights took place near the village of Vedeno, where marines had been ordered to capture strategic heights.
About 1,500 marines of the Caspian Flotilla, Northern, Pacific, and Black Sea Fleets are currently engaged in hostilities in the mountains near Vedeno.