GROZNY. Feb 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Three members of a rebel gang reporting to warlord Shamil Basayev were ambushed and killed in a shootout on the outskirts of the Akhkinchu-Borzoi village in Chechnya's Nozhai-Yurt district, the regional headquarters directing anti-guerilla efforts in the North Caucasus said on Wednesday.
"In addition to weapons, the killed men carried elements of a high-yield homemade explosive device and Wahhabi literature. The bandits are being identified, a spokesman for the headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Law-enforcers checking information obtained from a detained rebel found a rebel field base in the Shelkovskaya district, he said.
"A cache was detected on the outskirts of the base. Three F- 1 grenades, a portable anti-tank grenade launcher, 56 VOG-25 rounds, 353 7.62-mm cartridges, 167 5.45-mm cartridges and various military uniforms were seized from the cache," the spokesman said.
An ambush was set near the base to detect and detain rebels, he went on. At night the police spotted two guerillas approaching the base. Facing the arrest, the guerillas opened fire and attempted to escape. The police fired back and destroyed them.
Another spokesman for the headquarters told Interfax that two arms and ammo caches were found in Grozny.
The Chechen president's security service found a cache in the Leninsky district. It contained nine anti-personnel mines, a homemade explosive device, two landmines, five kg of explosives, 20 grenades, four VOG-25 rounds, about 400 cartridges and two electric detonators.
The ammunition was taken to a safe place and destroyed by blast.
Another cache was found near Pobeda Avenue. It contained three grenades, three VOG-25 rounds, four mines, and cartridges.
Federals have established the persons behind the caches and are now taking measures to detain them.