Part of Vedeno district falls under control of Chechen fightersRuslan Isaev, Prague Watchdog correspondent, Northern Caucasus – Troops of Chechen fighters attacked the military headquarters in the district town of Vedeno on Sunday, August 12. After extensive fighting during the following days a part of the district fell under their control as well as some of the main access roads.
Groups of Chechen fighters, a total number of approximately 100 men, entered Vedeno Sunday morning, August 12 to atack the local military headquarters and the temporary Russian Interior Ministry division. According to local inhabitants the roaring of the grenade launchers and machine guns was heard from places around Vedeno where the 66th Russian army regiment is based.
Russian military officials in the main North Caucasus military headquarters confirmed the attack. According to Russian source one policeman and one interior ministry unit soldier were killed and one soldier was wounded.
Chechen source quoted the Chechen field commanders as saying that the Chechen fighters temporarily withdrew to their mountain base to protect the inhabitants of Vedeno. However, on Monday, August 13 they attacked the military headquarters again. At the same time other Russian positions in Vedeno district were bombed by mountain artillery and mortars.
On Tuesday, August 14 Chechen field commanders announced that the district town of Vedeno was under their control. The local inhabitants informed that Chechen checkpoints were posted on the roads to Tsa-Vedeno, Elistanzhi and Kharachoi.
Russian soldiers, the employees of the military headquarters and the local police station in Vedeno did not leave their offices and keep holding their positions by circle defence. According to the field commander Idigov Russian defenders refused the Chechen challenges to surrender.
Shooting was heard during the whole day. Several local inhabitants were detained at Chechen checkpoints, accused of cooperation with the Russians. According to Idigov, deputy military commander of the Vedeno district Raibek Tevzayev and three of his bodyguards were killed on Tuesday, August 14. All were of Chechen origin.
On the other hand, the Russian generals claim that Vedeno is fully under the control of the federal forces and local police and cleansing operations are under way in the villages of Dyshne-Vedeno, Elistanzhi and Tsa-Vedeno.
Chechen military command did not disclose their intentions, but according to their information some 1000 men are currently staying in Vedeno and surrounding forrests (between the villages of Benoy and Elistanzhi and between Vedeno and Kharochie), who are very well intercontected and under the command of Shamil Basaev.
During the first Chechen war Vedeno was, except for about a three-month period, under full control of the Chechen fighters. Rugged countryside, forests, ravines and mountains do not allow the Russian army to use the heavy military technology and arms.
It is well known that main forces of the unit of Shamil Basaev are based in the mountaneous areas in Vedeno and Nozhay-Yurt districts, wherefrom they frequently attack Russian positions. The latest incident is the heaviest attack of the Chechen fighters since they withdrew from Grozny (February 2000) and suffered serious damage in the village of Komsomolskoe (March 2000).
Ruslan Isaev is Prague Watchdog correspondent
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