TBILISI. Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian State Security Ministry is carrying out operations in the Pankisi gorge in order to prevent the return of guerillas in case the situation aggravates in Chechnya next spring, First Deputy State Security Minister Irakly Alasania told reporters on Tuesday.
He did not rule out that small rebel groups might attempt to penetrate into the gorge in case of intensive combat actions in Chechnya. Such groups might be gouged from Chechnya to Georgia on purpose like it happened several years ago with the gang of warlord Ruslan Gelayev.
Alasania said that the situation in the gorge is stable and its patrolling is underway.
"We still have a lot to do but the situation cannot be compared to the one that was in the Pankisi gorge earlier when it hosted 500-600 extremists who combated federal forces in Chechnya," the deputy minister said.
He confirmed that the gorge hosted up to 100 mercenaries from Arab countries and CIS member-states, "which discredited Georgia and posed danger to its national security."
At present the Pankisi gorge has only several criminals, Alasania noted.
"There are theoretical chances that such people could stay in Georgia, and the State Security Ministry is working in the sphere," he said.
According to him, the rest of the guerillas left the country using the same routes they followed when they came to Georgia. "Georgian law-enforcement agencies did not help them make it, they just created an atmosphere unbearable for guerillas in the gorge," Alasania added.