KHANKALA/STAVROPOL. April 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Several guerilla bases and arms caches have been destroyed in Chechnya.
"Army reconnaissance units destroyed a guerilla base containing a large number of arms and ammo, some 100kg of extended storage foodstuffs, several foreign portable radio stations and uniform sets northeast of the Agishty village in the Vedeno district," the press service of the unified federal group in the North Caucasus reported on Thursday.
Federal units have destroyed a total of three guerilla bases and 13 ammo caches in the past 24 hours. The bases and caches contained some 50kg of explosives, 14 small-arms pieces, four anti-tank missiles, four grenade launchers, some 40 hand grenades, nine artillery shells, eight mortar shells, an aviation bomb and over 6,000 small-arms ammunition pieces.
A 10-strong rebel group was detected near the Elistanzhi village in the Vedeno district. Local residents said that guerillas were robbing them. Federal units are determining the group's whereabouts to neutralize it.
Border guards of the North Caucasus regional department found a cache near the Chechen village of Keseloi. "The cache found by servicemen of the Argun border guard detachment on Wednesday evening contained 400g of TNT, seven 82mm mortar rounds, a 120mm mortar round, and over 1,000 small-arms cartridges," the press service of the department told Interfax- AVN on Thursday.
Border guards of the Argun detachment have found the highest number of guerilla arms caches near the Chechen localities of Keseloi and Sharoi this year.
Over 60 various shells and mines intended for subversive and terrorist acts, some 20 grenades, and over 22,000 small-arms ammo pieces have been found at various sections of the Russian- Georgian border from January to March 2003.