MOSCOW, DEC 6: Russia today set December 11 deadline for the evacuation of civilians from the besieged Chechen capital as the federal troops encircled another key town of Urus-Martan, 20 south-west of capital Grozny, NTV said.The Russian military command has scattered thousands of leaflets over Grozny urging the militants to surrender in exchange for guarantee of life or face destruction after December 11.The civilians have been advised to use the `safe corridor' for their evacuation till December 11 after which the federal troops will launch an all out artillery and aerial assault to systematically destroy the militants entrenched in the besieged capital.Meanwhile, Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, with his military headquarter, has already moved to the southern town of Sahli in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains, NTV added.Elsewhere, the Russian troops have completely encircled the town of Urus-Martan, a major rebel stronghold and the infantry was only 1.5 km away from the rebel positions, NTV reported from a military position rainig shells on the militant positions.In a parallel development, a delegation of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) led by Iranian foreign minister Kamal Harrazi arrived in Moscow today on a fact-finding mission.After his talks with the chairman of the Russian Mufti Council Sheikh Ravil Ghainuttdin, the Iranian foreign minister called for immediate halt in Russia's military operations in breakaway Chechnya and initiating political dialogue with the Chechen leadership.The OIC delegation is leaving for Ingushetia tomorrow where 238,000 refugees from Chechnya have found shelter. OIC fact-finding mission is also to visit Daghestan, which was invaded by Chechen Islamic militants in July and this invasion exploded the `no-war, no-peace' situation which existed in Moscow's relations with Grozny since Russia's military defeat in first Chechen war of 1994-98.
