Clashes in Chechnya's mountains as Russians bomb rebels

Clashes in Chechnya's mountains as Russians bomb rebels
AGENCE FRANCE PRESS

Moscow, April 30: Russian troops on Sunday clashed with Chechen rebels in the Republic's southern mountains as guerrillas attempted to descend onto the plains and prepared to flood over the border from neighbouring Georgia, ITAR-TASS reported.

"There has been sporadic fighting between reconnaissance units and special interior ministry forces and small rebel groups in the mountains," Federal headquarters said, cited by the state news agency.

Russia began a special operation this weekend in the south of the breakaway territory against rebels who have inflicted recent heavy losses on federal troops. Meanwhile from the skies above SU-24 bombers, SU-25 attack aircraft and MI-24 helicopter gunships blasted guerrillas heading for the lowlands with bomb and missiles, Interfax reported.

Military officials told the news agency that 50 Chechen separatist fighters had been killed by the air strikes, which also targetted the southern tip of Chechnya bordering Georgia and the southeastern frontier with Dagestan.

In Georgia, some 500 rebels are massed near the ex-Soviet republic's mountainous border with Chechnya, and are planning to cross over into the war-torn territory once snow melts on the highland passes, the military said.