30 December 2003, 23:27
Operation to eliminate rebel group in Dagestan completed
The military operation to wipe out a rebel group in Dagestan's Tsuntinsky district has been completed.
"The operation of liquidating a 36-member rebel group encircled by federal forces in the Tsuntinsky district has been completed, with over 30 rebels being killed and three detained by federal troops," Colonel Igor Konashenkov, an aide to the commander of the North Caucasian military district, reported on Tuesday.
"On Monday, army commandos eliminated the last rebels trying to break out of the encircled area destroying 15 of them," he said.
Konashenkov said that the documents found on those killed and the testimony of the detainees indicated that the group had been moving from Chechnya to the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia for a respite.
"The detainees said that their group had felt strong pressure from federal troops in Chechnya and following its leader's plans, they intended to cross over to the territory of Georgia to rest," he said.
He added that Arab mercenaries had been leading the group.
"Early reports say several of the killed rebels were Arab mercenaries who are now being identified," Konashenkov said.
Editors note: See also the article "Rebels surrounded in Dagestan try to break into Georgia".
Source: Interfax News Agency
