MOSCOW. July 2 (Interfax-AVN) - Mercenaries from Middle Eastern nations remain the most aggressive members of illegal armed formations in Chechnya, federal troops commander in the region Colonel General Vladimir Moltenskoi said on Tuesday.
Moltenskoi told Interfax-Military News Agency he had made this conclusion on the basis of intelligence and reconnaissance data.
"After Khattab's death the so-called military emir of Chechnya, Abu Al Valid, took control over mercenary groups," the general said.
Among the emir's associates is Abu Khaft Khafis Anzhad, native of a Middle Eastern nation and member of the Muslim Brothers organization. Previously he was engaged in recruitment of separatists in the Georgian territory, but after a while moved to Chechnya and started taking part in combat operations.
Radio interception services have also registered call signs of mercenaries Muhamed Salikh and Bilal in areas of aggressive rebel operations, Moltenskoi said.
In addition, a rebel recently detained in the Kurchaloi district told interrogators he was a member of the rebel gang led by Abu Khabib (call signs Marvana).
Moltenskoi said the federal troops had lately destroyed many foreign mercenaries, including warlords Abu Darr, Abu Sayakh, Abu Yakub, Abu Dhzafar and Abu Umar.
"In winter and spring this year we succeeded in paralyzing active resistance of guerrillas. We also captured documents of all separatist "fronts" that helped make our work more effective and targeted," the general said.
At the same time Moltenskoi admitted that a part of the Chechen population was still supporting foreign mercenaries.
"In most of the cases it happens because foreigners are carriers of financial flows," he stressed.