KHANKALA. Aug 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Federal forces destroyed 70 Chechen rebels in the course of a special operation performed in two Chechnya's districts, a source at the Unified Federal Force's headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
The source said that it took several days to carry out a special operation near the villages of Gekhi-Chu and Shalazhi in Urus-Martan district. As many as 34 rebels from the squad of field commander Dokha Umarov were eliminated in combat operations.
He added that a sizeable guerrilla gang had been defeated in the Nozhai-Yurt district last week. "As many as 36 rebels were killed, and nine were taken prisoners," he said.
According to him, last week from August 19 to 26 skirmishes between federal troops and guerrilla gangs were registered in the Grozny, Kurchaloev, Veden, Nozhai-Yurt, Urus-Martan, Shatoi and Shali districts.
"During the special operation in Grozny 27 persons involved in guerrilla gangs have been arrested, 12 weapons and ammo caches have been found," the source said.
He said the ground to perform the special operation was a gunplay in the center of Grozny which resulted in two kills among the military.