KHANKALA, June 1 (AVN) - Federal aviation has eliminated two 10-strong rebel groups trying to breakthrough to Georgia from Chechnya in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters said on Thursday.
Several other militant groups that had strafed federal motorcades, checkpoints and pickets 14 times were scattered by fire strikes, the spokesman told the Military News Agency.
By scaling up their activities, the guerrillas are trying to distract the federal troops from a large rebel formation blocked in the Nozhai-Yurt district, the spokesman stressed. This 600-strong gang has already lost over 50 men killed. Four militants were taken prisoners.
Meanwhile, the federals are holding mop-op operations and exposing rebels and their accomplices in other Chechen districts. They have recently seized 18 firearms and four grenade launchers, disarmed three landmines and detained 10 suspected guerrillas.