KHANKALA, August 30 (AVN) - An official of the unified federal headquarters in the North Caucasus on Wednesday denied reports that Chechen rebel gangs were next to defeated.
The rebel gangs currently number over 2,000 full-scale members, more than half of whom are foreign mercenaries, the official told the Military News Agency, citing data obtained by the headquarters. They have established a widespread spy network in each locality in order to monitor the federal forces and officials, inform field commanders about forthcoming military operations and carry out terrorist acts, he added.
Taking into account rebel accomplices posing as civilians, the total number of guerrillas exceeds 5,000 people, the official stressed.
In the past 24 hours, federal troops and policemen have been engaged in 15 shoot-outs with rebels. Guerrillas have inflicted fire on six checkpoints, five commandant's offices and administrative buildings, two trains and three production shops located in Gudermes. A powerful bomb was exposed and defused in the administration office in the village of Shali.