GROZNY. Jan 17 (Interfax-AVN) - The foundation of rebels in Chechnya has been greatly damaged during the fall and winter military campaign, commander of the federal force in the North Caucasus Lieutenant General Vladimir Moltenskoi said at a press conference in Grozny on Thursday. He was answering an Interfax question. highland bases are destroyed, and plenty of firearms, ammunition and food have been confiscated," he said.
"The remaining gangs are running between settlements and searching for shelter," the general said. "Our reconnaissance says that Maskhadov has issued new orders to appoint field commanders because the federal force captured and killed many of them in this campaign. We are searching settlements and making targeted inspections."
As for the situation in Argun, the third largest town in Chechnya, 91 attacks on federal convoys and shooting incidents happened there in 2001, Moltenskoi said. Twenty-four servicemen were killed, and more than 80 were wounded in those attacks.
"We realized that rebels were using adjoining territories and roads for terrorist acts, and took measures to restore order," the commander said. "The federal force has information about certain rebels appearing in Argun. If the shooting incidents repeat themselves, we will have to conduct another operation in that town."
The general said they did not block the Tsotsin-Yurt village at first. "We sent two small units there for targeted inspections. They detained suspects and were on their way back to the base when rebels put them under fire and even tried to block the convoy. The intensive fire came from a distance of nearly 10 meters. We had losses. But the rebels had heavy losses, as well," Moltenskoi said.
After that the federal force "searched the place and neutralized the remaining rebels," the general said. "A conciliatory act was drafted upon the completion of the operation, and the operation commander, the head of the village administration and the clergy signed it."
The federal force is searching Bachi-Yurt on Thursday, Moltenskoi said. "A group of up to 14 rebels led by Abu-Sayah, nicknamed Yarmuk, was killed there earlier. Their leader was a close associate of Khattab," the general said. "We resumed the operation, because we knew that rebels remained in the village. A group of rebels, who resisted detention, was killed last night. A field commander nicknamed Uzbek has been identified as among the dead. As far as we know, he ranks third in the Khattab hierarchy. A commander nicknamed Usman has also been killed."
"We regard this as a normal result. The federal force command will keep to the same practice in the future," Moltenskoi said.
The general told the press that he was against "the harassment of local residents and taught the personnel not to do that. This is demanded by the law."