KHANKALA. July 9 (Interfax-AVN) - Four terrorist attacks have been prevented in Chechnya over the past 24 hours, Colonel Nikolai Berzeitis, deputy commander of the Combined Federal Forces in the North Caucasus, told Interfax on Wednesday.
Two landmines were discovered and disposed of in the village of Dyshne-Vedeno in southeastern Chechnya. More landmines were found in the village of Galashki and near the Staraya Sunzha village, which is on the northeastern outskirts of Grozny.
Berzeitis stressed that Grozny remains the center of subversive activity of guerillas. Rebel gangs subordinate to various warlords are staying in the city and on its outskirts. They evade direct engagements and try to arrange and commit terrorist acts secretly, he said.
According to the officer, federal forces are taking planned measures to block the rebel gangs' activity.
Berzeitis said that federals have destroyed seven caches of arms and ammunition in the past 24 hours. They seized six landmines, six pieces of small arms, 26 grenades, about 3,000 cartridges, nine artillery shells, six mortar shells, six portable anti-tank grenade launchers, a radio station, and about five kilos of explosives.
Colonel Ilya Shabalkin of the regional headquarters for the anti-guerilla operation told Interfax that two rebels have surrendered in the past 24 hours.
Ali Saraliyev came to a police station in Grozny's Oktyabrsky district. During the investigation, he confessed that he had fired at a federal checkpoint on the road between the Gekhi and Urus-Martan villages and had been involved in the blast of a vehicle on the same road. The man is currently kept in the pre-trial detention facility, and his confession is being checked.
Musa Elisharov surrendered in the Shelkovskaya district of the republic. He said he had been a member of the rebel gang led by warlord Agtiriyev since 1995. He was a liaison and delivered arms and ammunition to guerillas. Elisharov was let go under recognizance not to leave.
More than 130 people have surrendered in connection with the amnesty campaign in Chechnya. Another 200 are soon expected to follow suit, Shabalkin said.