KHANKALA, March 7 (AVN) - Chechen guerrillas have attacked federal installations and formations nine times during the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters in the North Caucasus told the Military News Agency on Wednesday.
Sappers helped locals of the Nozhai-Yurt district conduct mine clearance at two plots of cropland where they found more then 10 explosive devices. Engineering formations also cleared four ruined buildings and about 250 meters of underground communications in Grozny.
Federal search and reconnaissance parties exposed 5 or 10-strong rebel group overnight, which were soon hammered by artillery fire. Scouts on a search mission found a weatherproof blindage and an arms cache in forest-covered mountains of the Vedeno dustrict and destroyed them. Another cache containing an assault rifle, three hand grenades and about 300 cartridges was found near Vedeno with the help of locals.
The spokesman said federals have detained 11 suspected rebels, confiscated more than 20 different pieces of arms and two cars without licences since Tuesday.
Radio interception had it that rebel warlords guerrillas intend to carry out acts of provocation on Thursday, March 8, which is celebrated as Women's Day in Russia. That is why the Chechen administration took additional security measures on the eve of the holiday.