MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Since the beginning of the anti-guerrilla operation in the North Caucasus in August 1999, 889 servicemen of the Interior Ministry troops have been killed and 3,074 wounded, deputy commander-in-chief of the Interior Ministry troops Lieutenant General Stanislav Kavun told a Tuesday news conference at the Interfax main office.
"In the meantime, over 7,000 servicemen of the Interior Ministry troops have been awarded Russian orders and medals and 32 got the honorable title of Hero Of Russia," Kavun said.
The deputy commander earlier told Interfax that 2,108 servicemen of the Interior Ministry troops had been killed and 7,490 wounded in the first and second Chechnya campaigns.