Russia deny over 100 troops killed by Chechen rebels

But military personnel and officials in the internal security department termed it as “disinformation” which they said was propagated either by Chechen rebels or hostile foreign countries.

However, Moscow-based military news service AVN reported quoting defence sources that Russia suffered the heaviest casualty since it launched military operation against Chechnya when it struck in the heart of capital Grozny in a “reconnaisance mission” on Wednesday night.

It however put the toll at 50 citing sources in the Defence Ministry and the military headquarters. Seven of the 15 armoured vehicles taking part in the battle had been destroyed, AVN added.

Last night’s clash was the bitterest yet between the rebels and troops who faced rocket-propelled grenades by the guerrillas. AVN, run by former military correspondents, said Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergevev and other military brass categorically denied storming the breakaway province’s capital.

“There has been and will be no attempt to strom Grozny,” said Sergevev. Ekho Moskvy quoted Sergeyev as saying:“This (storming of Grozny) information is a provocation, and we have to find out who is behind this misinformation… There was no storming and will not be any.”

Similar statements were issued by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service in Moscow and the 58th Army headquarters in North Caucasus, the radio added.

However, speaking on NTV, FSB spokesman Gen Alexander Zdanovich did not rule out that a “reconnaissance mission” by the Russian armoured units could have been mistaken by the militants as a major assault. However, he ruled out `heavy casualties’ by his troops.

Meanwhile, former Chechen Information Minister Mauladi Udugov is negotiating a separate deal behind the back of president Aslan Maskhadov with the Saudi-born renegade billionaire Osama Bin Laden to set up A chechen government-in-exile on the territory of Afghanistan held by Taliban, Interfax News Agency said.

Earlier this week Udugov had a secret meeting with Laden’s emissary in neighbouring Georgia’s capital Tbilisi to discuss military aid to the rebels and formation of a government-in-exile without Maskhadov, it reported quoting Russian intelligence sources.

According to earlier media reports Bin Laden has allegedly enrolled a 5,000 strong force to fight in Chechnya and indulge in terrorist acts in Russian cities.