Russian federal troops continued their assaults on rebel positions on November 7 in the breakaway republic of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported.

In Grozny, capital of Chechnya, federal artillery pounded the Oktyabrsky district, hitting the settlement of Tridtsaty Uchastok and the former oil-industry workers' settlement No. 20, Interfax said in a dispatch from the regional capital.

The villages of Prigorodnoye, Gikalo and Chechen-aul outside Grozny were also targets of shelling.

Federal forces have secured control of 40 percent of Chechnya in a military campaign launched following armed incursions into neighboring Daghestan and a spate of terrorist bombings that killed over 300 people in Moscow and two other Russian cities.

Chechen warlords Shamil Basayev and Khattab, a Jordanian native known only by his last name, have been accused of masterminding the incursions and the blasts.

Besides artillery assaults, federal air planes also continued their raids on rebel positions in Chechnya.

Su-24 front-line bombers, Su-25 attack planes and Mi-24 helicopters delivered more than 100 air raids over the previous 24 hours, Interfax said, quoting the headquarters of the federal grouping in the North Caucasus.

The raids destroyed two of the rebels' strongholds, two command headquarters, one arms depot, three anti-aircraft systems and more than 10 vehicles.

In the face of fierce federal assaults, Chechen rebels are planning to cross into neighboring Azerbaijan, Interfax said, citing military intelligence.

It also quoted unidentified sources as saying that Shamil Basayev's envoy had returned from Pakistan following talks with extremist organizations on arms, ammunition and medicines supplies to Chechnya.

International terrorist Osama bin Laden is reported to have given him about 50 shoulder-held Stinger systems which are to be brought to Chechnya through Georgia or Azerbaijan before December 10, Interfax said.

Georgia has repeatedly denied reports that rebel personnel or arms move into Chechnya through its territory.