STAVROPOL. Oct 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Servicemen of the Nazran detachment subordinate to the North Caucasus regional border guard department attacked on Monday three unidentified persons moving deeper into Russia from the Georgian border, the department's press service reported.
"The unidentified people were found by servicemen of a combat cordon maintained by a border picket. Grenade launchers were fired at the area, after which a reconnaissance party was dispatched there. It is combing the area at present," the report reads.
While conducting search operations on the left bank of the Armkhi River, servicemen found a cache containing a sniper rifle with cartridges and a portable antitank grenade launcher.
Another reconnaissance party found an extremist stationing area on a bank of the Shondon River. When searching the area the party found two tents, camouflage uniform, knapsacks and about a dozen of detonators.
"This is the second time in the past two days when border guards destroy caches with a large number of small-arms pieces, grenades, mines, explosives, ammo, etc. This year, the North Caucasus department's border guards have found and destroyed over 20 rebel caches," the press service said.
"Tthe situation in the department's area of responsibility remained stable but tense on Monday. Units and formations are on high alert on the Russian-Georgian border. The main attention is paid to the Chechen and adjacent straps of the border. All types of reconnaissance, including aerial surveillance, were conducted in the area, and reconnaissance and combat operations, including the establishment of ambushes of possible rebel routes, were carried out in accordance with the schedule, mostly at night," the report reads.
The search for missing border guards from the Karmadon picket is underway. A border patrol consisting of Junior Sergeant Yevgeny Pronin and Private Yevgeny Shchekalev, was serving in the area of a disastrous glacier descent on September 21. The servicemen carried two assault rifles, cartridges to them, a signal pistol and a radio station.
Border guards of the Vladikavkaz detachment are involved in the elimination of consequences of the glacier's descent in the Karmadon gorge. In addition, they support flights of the Emergencies Ministry's aviation.