Rebels counter attack Russian troops in Chechnya

Grozny8217;s main boulevard was deserted except for an occasional truckload of rebel fighters speeding past, swerving to avoid large holes in the street. Defence Ministry spokesman Sergei Zhuk said the city was too well-defended for an all-out assault. Russian sappers said on NTV television on Monday that the federal troops8217; advance into Grozny was slowed because roads were heavily mined.

Having encircled Grozny and captured the surrounding northern lowlands, Russian officials said on Sunday they were concentrating their energies to the south, blockading roads the rebels use to ferry supplies from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.

Russian jets dropped aerosol bombs on rebel bases, caves and fortifications in southern Chechnya, Interfax reported. The bombs release large clouds of inflammable mist and cause massive explosions that can clear out bunkers. The Russians have not used the bombs in Grozny, where up to 35,000 civilians are reported to be hiding, Interfax said.