KHANKALA. Jan 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Federal forces in Chechnya have launched a series of operations with an aim to find and eliminate rebel warlord Khattab and other leaders of guerilla groups, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
Special purpose units of the Defense Ministry, Federal Security Service and several Russian special services have been deployed in Chechen mountains to search for the warlords.
Major guerrilla forces, including those led by Shamil Basayev and Khattab are still in the eastern mountainous part of Chechnya, primarily in the Vedeno and Nozhai-Yurt districts.
Both Khattab and Basayev are trying to fill arms, ammo and money stocks. In particular, they are working to establish connection with the Dagestan and Ingush autonomous republics as well as with Georgia's Pankisi gorge where up to 600 rebels are believed to be located.