Refugees have started coming back to their homes in western Dagestan's Novolaksky region, after it was cleared of rebel groups who had invaded from neighbouring breakaway Chechnya on September 5, Army Commander Gen Gennady Groshev said.

The main Russian forces have been moved to positions nearer to the border with Chechnya, to repel possible new offensives by Islamic militants. Up to 1,500 of them have congregated on the other side of the frontier North of the latest fighting, Groshev said.

The police and defence ministry troops were also combing Dagestan for remaining rebels. Thirty-one suspected rebels and their collaborators have been detained, officials said.