KHANKALA, April 6 (AVN) - Several rebel gangs subordinate to mercenary warlord Khattab have left the southeastern Chechen Vedeno district and headed for the neighbouring Nozhai-Yurt and Kurchaloi districts, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters said on Thursday.
The gangs totalling some 200 guerrillas divided into small groups to effect redeployment, the spokesman told the Military News Agency. They were moving secretly at night.
The federals managed to intercept and scatter some of them, but the majority managed to penetrate into the designated area, the spokesman said.
According to the military intelligence and sources in the Federal Security Service (FSB) operative group, the rebels were ordered to penetrate into villages of the Nozhai-Yurt and Kurchaloi districts, register as civilians and start sabotage and terrorist operations.