KHANKALA. Dec 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The command of the unified federal troops group in the North Caucasus praises the activities of army reconnaissance during the elimination of guerillas in Chechnya, the group's press service reported on Thursday.
"The tactics of avoiding direct engagement with federal forces that the guerillas have used fails more and more often mainly due to efficient work of army reconnaissance," the press service said.
According to an officer in the group's headquarters, "local residents provide invaluable aid to servicemen in finding and destroying guerillas."
"On Wednesday, the command obtained information that a rebel group had been seen on the outskirts of the Samashki forest. A Chechen teenager collecting wood in the forest gave an alarm. Having seen suspicious people with arms, he ran home and told adults about the strangers. They managed to inform the military in time. The battle did not last long and only early twilight saved guerillas, who had suffered losses, from total defeat. The gang is being chased, guerilla remains are being identified," the press service reported.
A reconnaissance unit found a separatist winter base near the Davydenko village in the Achkhoi-Martan district. "The base had two dug-outs intended for accommodating some 30 people and foodstuffs," the press service said.
A cache with 4kg of plastic explosive, three AK-74 assault rifles and three makeshift explosive devices was found in the Starye Atagi village in the Grozny rural district.
The unified federal headquarters considers the situation in Chechnya to be "complicated."
"When preparing terrorist acts against local residents and Russian servicemen, bandits collect information on actions of federal forces, establish caches near localities and fill materiel stocks," the press service said.