GROZNY. Jan 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Chechen rebels opened fire at a checkpoint of the Moscow composite police department in the Leninsky district of Grozny at 7:30 p.m. Moscow time (1630 GMT) on Thursday, a spokesman for the Chechen Interior Department told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The policemen fired back and dispersed the attackers, the spokesman said. One rebel was killed, while the police sustained no losses.
Extremists opened fire at federal installations four times in Grozny on Thursday. Federals defused two landmines and destroyed three illegal oil refineries.
Five people were detained in Grozny for violation of passport rules on Thursday. Law-enforcers seized two portable anti-tank grenade launchers, seven rounds for them, three PM pistols, an AKM assault rifle, about 500 pieces of ammunition for it, 12 hand grenades and about 1kg of TNT. Engineering reconnaissance detachments rendered harmless a landmine and two makeshift explosive devices.
The unified federal headquarters in the North Caucasus has said that three to four small rebel groups reporting to warlord Shamil Basayev were spotted in Grozny and its suburbs on Wednesday and Thursday. Each group comprises up to 10 people. The extremists are on a mission to stage sabotage and terrorist acts at vital installations of the city. Federals have taken additional measures to protect the communications that are of vital importance for Grozny.