Russians cement Grozny gains, free reporters

Russians cement Grozny gains, free reporters
AGENCIES

MOSCOW, DECEMBER 30: Russian forces tried to cement their latest gains in and around the Chechen capital Grozny today after rebels acknowledged they had lost some ground in the city and in the southern mountains.

``The troops continued to build up tactically advantageous positions around Grozny, avoiding clashes with the bandit gangs,'' Itar-tass news agency reported from Mozdok, Russia's main army base in the region just outside breakaway Chechnya.

Moscow routinely calls the Chechen rebels ``bandits'' or ``terrorists''.

``Earlier, defence ministry units and interior ministry troops, acting in coordination with Chechen paramilitaries, had advanced on the city centre from three directions,'' Itar-tass said.

Warplanes and artillery were pounding rebel positions without respite, it added.

The Russians detained seven foreign reporters near Grozny yesterday before releasing them after nine hours of questioning.

One of the journalists, Ricardo Ortega of Spain's Antena 3, told Reuters they had been interrogated individually and had been warned they would lose their accreditation in Russia if caught a second time in the zone of hostilities.

Air force officers told Interfax news agency they had carried out 70 raids on rebel positions in Chechnya in the last 24 hours. Tass said bombing resumed early today.

Meanwhile, a senior Kremlin official was today quoted as saying that rebels in Chechnya must renounce all claims to independence for the breakaway republic before Moscow will talk peace.

``Chechnya is an integral part of Russia -- the constitution applies to all Russian territory,''Igor Shabdurasulov, the Kremlin's deputy head of administration, told Rossiiskiye Vesti newspaper.

Talks with Chechen representatives could begin only once they accepted this. ``Elements of autonomy'' could be tolerated only within a federation.

Shabdurasulov said almost all the Caucasus region was ``a crisis zone'' with conflicts in North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Karachay Cherkassia.

The key to peace in Chechnya and the other regions was to build up the economy and welfare structure, he said, adding:``The sooner the shooting stops, the better.''