Federal aircraft bomb Chechen militants' bases

KHANKALA. July 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Federal aircraft bombed militant bases in Chechnya's mountainous area in the past 24 hours.

"Preliminary reports indicate that the air strikes destroyed an extremist base in a mountain gorge and a communication facility," a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters in the North Caucasus told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.

Moreover, they obstructed passage along two mountain crossings and destroyed two strongholds.

SU-24 Fencer and SU-25 Frogfoot planes flew 10 missions in the past 24 hours, the spokesman went on. MI-24 Hind strike helicopters supported actions of land forces from the air.

MI-8 Hip helicopters accomplished four surveillance missions to detect guerrilla concentration areas.