Chechen rebels hold out against Russians

Chechen rebels hold out against Russians
REUTERS

MOSCOW, JANUARY 4: Rebel Islamic fighters said on Monday they retained their grip on the Chechen capital Grozny and the breakaway region's southern mountains, despite heavy attacks by the Russian military.

Itar-Tass news agency said Russian forces had tried to flush rebel fighters out of the area around the railway station near the centre of Grozny on Monday and launched air and artillery attacks on the mountain strongholds.

But rebel spokesman Movladi Udugov said the rebels still had control of Grozny, except for the northern Staropromyslovsky district, and that the bombardment of the city had eased Tuesday morning.

``It has been practically silent for about two hours. We have seen no planes and there has been only sporadic shooting,'' he said by telephone. ``The city is firmly controlled by Chechen government forces.''

He reiterated that the rebels had regained control of three villages southwest of Grozny, although Moscow has not confirmed the report.

Valentin Astafyev, deputy head of theRussian forces' press centre near Chechnya, on Monday said Russian troops were making steady progress in Grozny.

But Tass said the Russian forces had acknowledged facing tough resistance, after over three months into the campaign to wipe out separatists accused by Moscow of planting bombs which killed nearly 300 people in Russia.

The rebels deny the accusations.

``The largest groups of gunmen are in downtown Grozny. They continue to offer fierce resistance to federal troops, and plant mines and trip-wire mines at approaches to their positions in the centre of the Chechen capital,'' Tass said.

An independent death toll was not available, and both sides tend to exaggerate the other's losses and minimise their own.

Udugov said up to 200 Russian soldiers had been killed in recent battles across Chechnya. Tass quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying only four Russian soldiers had died in the latest fighting and about 30 rebel fighters had been killed.

Russia's actingPresident, Vladimir Putin, has made winning the war a priority and wants a quick victory to reduce the risk of any military setbacks or major losses denting his chances of winning a presidential election expected in March.