13,000 Chechen Rebels Killed by Russian Forces: Military

Up to 13,000 rebels have been annihilated by Russian federal forces since the beginning of the military campaign in Chechnya in August last year, a top Russian official was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying Friday. First deputy chief of the Russian armed forces' general staff, Colonel General Valery Manilov, said 3,000 militants still confront the federal forces.

"There are up to 2,000 militants in Chechen mountain areas. Yet another 1,000 are in hiding in the republic's flatlands," said the general.

As regards the formation of the groups, he said about 900 are mercenaries from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, 500 are criminal representatives, 200 repeat offenders, who are in hiding in Chechnya, escaping judicial punishment, 400 Chechens, mainly youths, lured into bands by cheating and for money. Manilov said the number of militants in the capital Grozny has somewhat increased lately. They have infiltrated into the city in order to hinder the engineers in defusing mines, prevent peaceful residents from returning to the Chechen capital, and disrupt the upcoming elections, he said.

Touching upon the military situation, Manilov said that in the south militants have been blocked at Sharo-Argun, Vedeno, Vyshne- Vedeno, Dargo and on the southern outskirts of Urus-Martan and Alleroy.

He also said that to the south of Itum-Kale, rebel caches of arms, ammunition and food are being destroyed. "Artillery and aviation are delivering restrictive strikes on targets," he added. Manilov described as unlikely attempts "by more or less big bands" to break through Urus-Martan into Ingushetia and through Dargo into Dagestan. However, he did not rule out the possibility that small rebel groups could flee Chechnya.

The general admitted with regret that bandits continued to get aid from abroad. Over the last week alone, he said, about 3 million U.S. dollars were delivered to bandits "to back them up." Asked whether Russian army and Interior Ministry servicemen were involved in events in Aldy and Alkhan-Yurt where some local dwellers died, Manilov said, "Physically, the army and interior troops were not involved in the events."

He said investigating actions are under way on the site, and the exhumation of the bodies of those killed is under way. Only after the completion of the investigation a conclusion on who really took part in these events can be made, Manilov said, adding that these conclusions have no less and maybe even more significance for the Russian Defense Ministry.

Moscow launched a massive military campaign in the breakaway republic of Chechnya after Chechen separatists invaded the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan and allegedly masterminded a series of apartment blasts in Moscow and two other Russian cities, which claimed over 300 lives.

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