Guerrilla fighting continues in Chechen mountainsRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus - The mountains of Chechnya are the most difficult terrain for the Russian military in carrying out "counter-terrorist operation" as the bulk of Chechen resistance fighters have been concentrated there for several years.
Because of an unstable situation in the Nozhai-Yurtovsky, Vedensky, Shatoisky, Itum-Kalinsky and Sunzhensky districts, the Russian army maintains numerous troops and military equipment there. And in all large mountain villages, there are military command posts that try their utmost to administer Russian laws.
As for the Chechen police, the partisans do not take them very seriously for the police often surrender to avoid fighting; and after they confiscate the policemen's weapons, they set them free. Yet when the guerrillas battle with Russian military or police forces, there are often casualties on both sides.
One such battle took place on Thursday evening on the outskirts of Itum-Kale when a small group of guerrillas ran into some soldiers from the local command post. One soldier died and four others were wounded in the brief skirmish; no information was given about guerrilla casualties.
The guerrillas were most likely part of the group belonging to Chechen field commander Ruslan Gelayev, who on Wednesday clashed with Russian special forces near the village of Kharsenoi. According to the military, three guerrillas were killed and ten wounded; however, sources close to the guerrillas claimed that it was actually twelve Russian soldiers that had been killed.
While shoot-outs usually take place in the mountains where guerrillas can easily hide and find shelter, in the lowlands they resort to laying land-mines. A method that still appears to be successful as recently, on a road leading to Grozny, a Russian armoured personnel carrier ran over a mine that injured six soldiers, two of whom eventually died in the hospital. (T/E) RELATED ARTICLES:
· Military service extended in Chechnya (Nezavisimaya gazeta, 28.10.2003)
|
