Heavy fighting in Chechnya

The rebel forces, varyingly estimated by the Russian defence ministry at between 3,000 to 8,000 men, were expecting reinforcements from neighbouring Georgia.

About 1,000 Chechen guerrillas and foreign mercenaries were looking for a route into Chechnya through Russian lines along the mountain border, according to the head of the federal border guards service.

The previous day the service admitted that it only controlled about two thirds of the 80-km-long border with independent Georgia.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Staff, General Valery Manilov said on Thursday that Russian forces had lost some 1,500 servicemen during the military operations in Dagestan and Chechnya.

quot;Even though we tried to minimise our losses, this was not always possible,quot; he said. Citing Manilov, ITAR-TASS reported that over 200 settlements had been quot;liberatedquot; in Chechnya, 80 per cent of which were left undamaged. With regard to terrorism, Manilov said that 1,584 people, a third of them children, had suffered from Chechen terrorist acts and that quot;mercenariesquot; were being trained by international terrorist organisations.

quot;Russians are aware of this and therefore support our campaign despite efforts by the West to reverse public opinion. That is why 30 per cent of our troops are not on compulsory military service, but work on contract.quot; The general said that there had been 62 gangs of 3,500 persons operating in Chechnya who specialised in the hostage-taking of 1,500 Russians and more than 10,000 ethnic Chechens.

quot;The secret services have been ordered to take dead or alive the gang leaders Shamil Basayev and Khattab,quot; Manilov said, referring to the two top warlords. quot;Terrorism has become the main feature of the regime that we are now liquidating in Chechnya.quot;

Moscow said last week there were still 11 foreign hostages missing in Chechnya. Also on Thursday, Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev said Chechen leader Aslan Maskhadov should have long been outlawed. quot;He should have been put on Interpol8217;s wanted list long ago,quot; ITAR-TASS quoted Sergeyev as saying. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors told ITAR-TASS that a probe was underway into an intercepted radio message allegedly made by Maskhadov. In the broadcast he ordered his people to deal a heavy blow to Russian forces and to take pleasure out of killing Russians, the Kremlin8217;s spokesman for the Chechen conflict Sergei Yastrzhembsky told journalists on Thursday. If the Chechen President had indeed made the statements threatening Russia, prosecutors may institute criminal proceedings against him.