MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Some rebel groups have started leaving Chechnya for Iraq or Afghanistan where extremist Islamic organizations have stepped up their operations, a Russian Defense Ministry source told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
"The rebels are fleeing to Iraq and Afghanistan through Georgia and Azerbaijan and also several other countries neighboring Russia," the source said.
He said guerilla operations were on the rise in Iraq and Afghanistan and terrorists have started leaving Chechnya where their operations are greatly restricted.
"The decline in rebel activity in Chechnya largely stems from the effectiveness of the special efforts conducted by federal troops in the North Caucasus," the source said.
He said that rebel leaders Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev remain in Chechnya. "Arms and money for the rebels are arriving in Chechnya via Georgia, Azerbaijan and other neighboring states," he said.