KHANKALA. Aug 8 (Interfax-AVN) - A rebel was destroyed on the outskirts of the Chechen village of Urus-Martan when he was trying to plant a landmine, a spokesman for the military commandant's office of the Urus-Martan district said on Thursday.
"The saboteur planting a landmine made on the basis of a 152mm artillery shell near residential houses was spotted by servicemen of the military commandant's unit. They tried to detain the rebel, but he opened assault rifle fire. The extremist was eliminated in the shootout," the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency.
A special operation is underway in Urus-Martan to eliminate rebel gangs found in the village on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"In addition to Chechen rebels, the bandit gangs include mercenaries from Arab countries," the spokesman said.