KHANKALA. Nov 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Chechen militants acting in Grozny plan to acquire portable surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, a source in the Interior Ministry's temporary headquarters in the North Caucasus told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"The so-called Grozny emir, Dzhambulat Samkhadov, allocated about USD100,000 for the purchase of weapons and ammunition for the bandit groups operating in the Chechen capital and on its outskirts. According to reports obtained by law enforcement agencies, most of the money will be spent on Strela-2M portable SAM systems," the source noted.
Samkhadov's militants reportedly have three such systems, the headquarters of the Combined Federal Forces in the North Caucasus told Interfax-AVN. Several more systems are allegedly at the disposal of other Grozny-based rebel formations, the headquarters noted.
According to the source, the Chechen police in cooperation with military units are carrying out search operations in the Urus- Martan district to destroy the gang of the so-called Urus-Martan jamaat (rebel administration), that is equipped with about five SAM systems.
The headquarters of the Combined Federal Forces said rebels had scaled up the hunt for federal helicopters.
"Rebels use their accomplices to track helicopter flights. They set up firing positions very close to temporary stationing areas of Combined Federal Forces units. The two helicopters shot down by extremists over Khankala were fired at from nearly the same area," the headquarters said.
The command of the forces' army aviation has ordered that helicopter crews perform flights using anti-missile maneuvers in the vicinity of the Khankala base and stationing areas of the 42nd motorized rifle division's units. Crews of combat and transport helicopters attended additional training last week, the headquarters said.