Kavkaz News: Fighting At Foot Of Black Mountains

Transcript from.... http://www.chechnya.xnet.is/...the official news agency of Chechen rebels.

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Monday, March 6th, 2000
Kavkaz Center reports

Fighting near Saadi-Khutor continues

The fighting around Saadi-Khutor (called 'Komsomolskoye' in the Russian media) is not letting up. Saadi-Khutor is situated in Urus-Martan District at the foot of the so-called Black Mountains.

For seven days Russian air force and artillery have been attacking the settlement. Assault units, supported by heavy armoured vehicles, continue to try to capture the village. The mujahideen are repulsing these attacks and are carrying out intensive counter-attacks.

According to the Chechen command a Russian units was encircled and annihilated at the northeastern fringe of the village. 160 Russians are said to have been killed, and 7 armoured vehicles were destroyed, among them 2 battle tanks. The mujahideen forced the enemy from one of the tactical heights. One Russian helicopter was shot down.

15 mujahideen fell in these combat actions.

Near Alkhazurovo the fighting is less intensive, but the Russians are making use of artillery and helicopters.

Mujahideen enter Starye Atagi and Samashki. No fighting in Alkhan-Kala

The Chechen commander Arbi Barayev says that his forces are staying in Alkhan-Kala. Until now the Russians have not engaged in any combat actions against them.

Yesterday evening the Chechen mujahideen went into Starye Atagi and Samashki. The Chechen fighters are now virtually deployed at the Russians' rear flank.

Shooting is taking place in Starye Atagi while from Samashki no combat action has been reported until now. The mujahideen carried out a hit-and-run operation at the Kirov Settlement of Dzhokhar and at Kulary. In Kirov 2 BTRs were destroyed and about 15 Russians were killed. There were no casualties on the Chechen side.

Near Serzhen-Yurt

According to the Chechen command the mujahideen near Serzhen-Yurt retreated to the southern fringe of the village. Several mobile units continue to engage the Russians in stationary fighting near the former pioneers' camp between Serzhen-Yurt and Avtury. They attacked several times and managed to destroy one BMP and to kill more than 20 Russians. It became known today that a huge Russian armoured column is moving from Vedeno towards Serzhen-Yurt.

A visit with Shamil Basayev

Today Shamil Basayev repudiated all reports that he is in bad physical condition. Basayev welcomed Kavkaz Center's correspondent and asked him to let it be known that he was doing quite well. To all appearances he was in good condition, and his wounded leg is healing surprisingly well.

The Chechen commander reported fierce combat actions near Ulus-Kert and Yarysh-Mardy. According to him, near Ulus-Kert the Russians suffered heavy casualties: More than 130 Russians were killed and at least 200 were wounded. The Russians are collecting the wounded at the northern fringe of Duba-Yurt and from there carry them away with helicopters. About 70 corpses were left on the battle-field. Basayev says that the units of the Chechen Armed Forces and the Islamic Peacekeeping Army are going to intensify their activities in all combat areas.

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Saturday, March 4th, 2000
Kavkaz Center reports:

Chechen units went into Serzhen-Yurt, Alkhan-Kala, and Alkhazurovo

According to the Defence Staff of the ChRI units of the Chechen Armed forces went into Serzhen-Yurt. During this operation two encounters with the Russians took place in Vedeno Valley.

The Chechen mujahideen attacked the Russians while marching. The most fierce fighting happened 6 km south of Beni-Khutor. Making use of the wooded mountain territory to hide their movement the Chechens by-passed the Russian guards and attacked them from behind.

Fierce shooting is going on near the former pioneer camp near Serzhen-Yurt. The mujahideen are carrying out operations according to the resolution of the State-committee of Defence from February 9th [transition to partisan warfare].

According to one of the commanders of the operation to enter Serzhen-Yurt during the fighting in Vedeno Valley more than 80 Russians were killed.

Units under the command of Arbi Barayev went into Alkhan-Kala, 10 km west of Dzhokhar. Having destroyed a Russian 'block-post' and a sentry, the mujahideen took up positions near the road Rostov-Baku.

Hamzat Gilayev and Ramzan Akhmadov are commanding the units which attacked the Russians near Roshni-Chu and Alkhazurovo. The village Alkhazurovo is in control of the Chechen mujahideen.

In this region bitter fighting continues.

Mujahideen retreat in Khal-Keloy for one kilometre

According to General Bakuyev Baudin stationary warfare continues near Khal-Keloy. The Chechen command decided to evacuate the positions of the mujahideen and to move back for one kilometre. This was merely a tactical decision because the former positions were situated directly in the Russian range of fire.

The Chechens are going to continue to apply the tactics of mobile defence and unexpected counter-attacks.

General Bakuyev Baudin said to Chechen journalists that yesterday the first direct contacts between the command of the Russian aggressors and the Chechen armed forces in Sharoy District took place. The Russian general in these negotiations suggested the Chechen side to cease mutual gun fire. The Chechen commanders rejected this offer.

Russians shoot at each other near Shalazhi

Inhabitants of Shalazhi [15 km southwest of Urus-Martan] report that the Russian troops deployed near this village periodically engage in heavy shooting at each other. The units west of the village call themselves 'Putinists' while the troops on the eastern side of the village consider themselves 'Syuganovists'. Tanks, cannons, and even helicopters are used in these pre-election arguments within the Russian army. There are no reports on the number of Russian casualties.

Near Saadi-Khutor fighting continues

Saadi-Khutor is being attacked with artillery and helicopters. Russian units, supported by tanks and BMPs, periodically try to move towards the village and to entrench themselves at its fringe. The mujahideen are counter-attacking the Russians in order not to permit them to gain positions close to the village.

According to the Chechen command several Russian assaults have been repulsed. The Russians suffered more than 250 casualties.

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Friday, March 3rd, 2000
Kavkaz Center reports:

Operation in Dzhokhar

The Chechen command has announced that yesterday in Dzhokhar a military operation was carried out.

Units of Chechen mujahideen attacked Russian units in the Staropromyslovsky District of the Chechen capital. The Russians were shelled with grenade launchers, machine guns, and 82-calibre mortars. Fighting lasted for about 4 hours. The attacked Russian unit was dispersed. More than 60 Russians were killed. 23 submachine guns and machine guns, 5 grenade launchers, and two UAZ cars were captured.

The Chechen command has information on mass murder and marauding by the Russians in Dzhokhar. It was especially the troops deployed in the Staropromyslovsky District of Dzhokhar that took part in these atrocities.

The operation to destroy the aggressors' gangs was carried out according to the resolution of the State-Committee of Defence of the ChRI from February 9th.

Bitter Fighting in Saadi-Khutor

Having redeployed their forces, the Chechen mujahideen are now engaged in fighting on territory occupied by the Russians earlier.

In Saadi-Khutor (formerly 'Komsomolskoye'), Urus-Martan District, bitter fighting is taking place. Four days ago the the mujahideen destroyed 5 'block-posts' and a unit of Russian interior forces near the village. According to the Chechen side, about 200 Russians were killed, and 7 armoured vehicles were knocked out.

The village is being shelled and bombed massively by the Russians. Yesterday during the second half of the day the Russians tried to assault the village. The attack was repulsed. Russians units managed to defend their positions at the fringes of the village for about one hour. They were forced back by the Chechens, who attacked frontally.

According to the Chechen side, in 4 days of fighting the mujahideen lost 6 men.

Combat Actions near Ulus-Kert

Bitter fighting is taking place near Ulus-Kert.

The Russian units moving into the village robbed and killed the civilian inhabitants and destroyed their houses.

The Chechen mujahideen had withdrawn their units to the mountain woods in order to spare civilians' lives. But the Russian sadists and marauders continued to kill Chechen women, children, and the elderly in accordance with the orders of Shamanov.

A Chechen unit of about 250 men went into the village and attacked the marauders. The fight was short but fierce. More than 100 marauders were killed. The rest of the unit dispersed, seized with panic. Two tanks and two BMPs were knocked out. About 20 armoured vehicles were forced out of the village.

In this fight 10 mujahideen became martyrs, among them commander Apti Akhmadov.

Now Ulus-Kert is being shelled massively. The Chechen mujahideen are trying to help the civilian population.

Mujahideen Raid near Khidi-Khutor

Near Khidi-Khutor the mujahideen engaged in fighting with a Russian unit. Making the best use of the wooded territory and the commanding heights, the mujahideen were able to attack the Russians who outnumbered them by several dozen. In the first minutes of fighting the Chechens managed to knock out one tank and to force the Russians into defensive positions. After three hours of fighting, the Russians put their air force into action. Helicopters attacked the village.

7 Russians were taken prisoner during these combat actions. The fighting continues.

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