KHANKALA. May 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Federal servicemen engaged in special operations in the Chechen localities of Avtury and Argun on Thursday detained five rebels, including Kazakh mercenary Khamzat Abubakarov, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency.
In Argun, servicemen of an operational brigade from the Volga district of the Interior Ministry troops in cooperation with agents of the Federal Security Service detained Abubakar Shabayev and brothers Musa and Fidek Tebishevs from a group led by field commander Eskiyev.
The pin-point operations in Avtury and Argun were carefully prepared, the spokesman said. Servicemen and FSB agents are searching for rebels, arms and explosives.
The operations also involve representatives of the local military prosecutor's office, police and administration who are authorized by the federal troops commander to monitor abidance by law and order among the servicemen.
This year, rebels have murdered several policemen, state employees and local residents who cooperated with federal bodies in Avtury and Argun.