Kavkaz News: The Battle For Chechnya Continues
The following is a transcript from....http://www.chechnya.xnet.is/... the official news agency of the Chechen rebels. Translated news reports from March 23th to March 25th follow.
TRANSCRIPT BEGINS
Saturday, March 25th,
2000
Kavkaz Center reports:
Chechen Raid Near
Borzoy
The units of the Armed Forces of the ChRI continue
to carry out operative-tactical measures to destroy the
enemy in Argun Valley. A detachment of 150 mujahideen
attacked a unit of the enemy in the Shatoy District near the
village of Borzoy.
The Russian unit consisting of so-called spetsnaz men was moving towards Shatoy, being covered by attack helicopters. The mujahideen detonated two anti-tank mines and opened fire with bazookas and machine guns.
Not less than 40 Russians were killed. 3 armoured vehicles were knocked out. After one hour of fighting the mujahideen retreated. On the Chechen side one fighter was killed, 7 men were wounded.
Vakha Arsanov Presides Over
Commanders' Meeting
The Chechen vice-president Vakha
Arsanov yesterday evening presided over a meeting of
commanders of the southwestern and central front of the
Armed Forces of the ChRI. Almost all commanders took part in
it, among them the deputy of Hamzat Gilayev. The issues of
this meeting were secret, but Kavkaz Center's correspondent
managed to find out that they were related to the efforts of
the occupiers to organize so-called elections in the
occupied territories of Chechnya.
After the meeting, Vakha Arsanov said that the Chechen leadership was carefully observing the activities of the occupiers and of the national traitors in the occupied territories. As far as these so-called elections are concerned - they don't have any significance for the Chechen state and won't have any juridical consequences, says Arsanov.
Situation in the
Urus-Martan District Eased
According to the Chechen
command, the intensity of the armed clashed in the
Urus-Martan District decreased during the last
day.
Special units of the mujahideen are still active in this region. Last night, they attacked a checkpoint on an access road to Urus-Martan and a group of Russians at the southwestern fringe of Saadi-Khutor. Shooting lasted until morning.
This morning, General Khamzat Gilayev and the commander of the sub-unit "Djamaat", Ramzan Akhmadov, reported by means of telecommunications to the staff about the situation in the Urus-Martan District.
In Khorsenoy
and Khal-Keloy the Fighting Continues
The chief of staff
of the Shatoy front, the Chechen minister of industry Daud
Akhmadov, today reported about an intensification of the
fighting in Khorsenoy and Khal-Keloy.
The units of the mujahideen held their positions repulsing the enemies' attacks. Several times the Chechens counter-attacked the Russians and inflicted bad casualties on them. Fearing frontal attacks the Russians in recent days only fired upon the Chechen positions, hoping to gain terrain by this.
The mujahideen carried out counter-attacks near these villages: Different mujahideen units attacked the flanks of the Russians' advanced units to the same time. The enemy obviously did not expect such a manoeuvre and did not offer serious resistance.
Daud Akhmadov reports more than 120 Russians killed and 5 armoured vehicles knocked out.
The casualties of the Chechen fighters became known now: According to Kavkaz Center's correspondent, near Khorsenoy and Khal-Keloy 5 mujahideen fell.
Shooting near
Eshelkhatoy
Last night heavy shooting took place near
Eshelkhatoy in the Vedeno District. The fighting occurred
near the route Vedeno-Eshelkhatoy near a Russian camp.
Details are
unknown.
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Friday,
March 24th, 2000
Kavkaz Center reports:
Russian Column
Destroyed near Novogroznensky
The Chechen command reports
successful combat operations in the Gudermes
District.
Special units of the mujahideen attacked a moving column of the enemy near the village of Novogroznensky. It consisted of 5 BMPs, 4 'Ural' trucks, and several UAZik cars. Fighting lasted for about one hour. 54 so-called spetsnaz men were killed. The mujahideen captured a great amount of war materiel, including 8 'PK' machine guns.
The Chechens suffered no casualties.
No Let-up in
Fighting in Southern Chechnya
The most intensive clashes
are taking place in the districts of Urus-Martan, Shatoy,
Cheberloy, and Sharoy. The situation is intensifying day by
day in the districts of Vedeno, Nozhay-Yurt, and
Gudermes.
Near Saadi-Khutor (Komsomolskoye), Alkhazurovo, Goyskoye, and Urus-Martan the Chechen mujahideen are continuing their special operations. During the last 24 hours armed clashes occurred in the southern parts of Saadi-Khutor and in the northern outskirts of Goyskoye. The mujahideen report 10 Russians killed.
Bitter shooting also occurred near Khorsenoy, Khal-Keloy, and Aslanbek Sheripov. The Russians are using artillery and rocket launchers.
In the Cheberloy District no major changes took place.
During the last 24 hours the mujahideen in the various regions of the ChRI lost 11 men.
Six women killed
The Russians
attacked the outskirts of Shaami-Yurt and Samashki with
artillery. The shelling lasted for four hours.
Local people report that during these attacks six women collecting food in the forests near the villages were killed.
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Thursday,
March 23rd, 2000
Kavkaz Center reports:
Basayev: No
Negotiations with Russia
Shamil Basayev emphasized that
the Chechen Armed Forces are combat-ready and willing to
fight the aggressors. Basayev said to Chechen journalists
that the coordination and leadership of the Chechen
sub-units ensure the planning and execution of serious
tactical and strategical combat tasks. The Chechen forces
are acting according to the resolution of the
State-Committee of Defence from February 9th [transition to
guerilla warfare]; no change of this resolution was
considered necessary in the recent session of the
committee.
Basayev points out that in the given situation negotiations with the Kremlin regime would be unrealistic and detrimental.
The Chechen Units are Enforcing Their
Activities in the Urus-Martan District
The Chechen units
are periodically enforcing their activities in the
southwestern regions of the ChRI. During the last 24 hours
Chechen mobile units carried out several raids on the
Russians near Saadi-Khutor, Goyskoye, Alkhazurovo, and
Urus-Martan.
Yesterday evening at the southern and western outskirts of Saadi-Khutor fighting lasted for more than three hours. A special unit of the mujahideen attacked an armoured group and a Russian unit consisting of so-called spetsnaz men. One tank was knocked out, and 12 Russians were killed. In the morning shooting flared up anew.
Fighting also took place at the outskirts of Alkhazurovo and Goyskoye. The mujahideen report Russian casualties. 14 Russians were killed. Near Urus-Martan one BMP and one 'Ural' truck were destroyed.
According to Hamzat Gilayev the mujahideen lost 3 fighters during the last 3 days.
Fighting near Yarysh-Mardy and Zonakh
The Chechen
command today reported fighting near Yarysh-Mardy and
Zonakh. A special unit of the mujahideen that is active in
the Argun Valley and in the valley of the River Vashtar
attacked an armoured column of the enemy on the Yarysh-Mardy
- Zonakh route. The combat activities lasted for several
hours. The Chechen fighters managed to set 6 armoured
vehicles and 2 trucks on fire. No fewer than 50 Russians
were killed.
The Chechen command has announced that in this fight the commander of the special unit, Ismail, and another 3 fighters fell.
Bitter Fighting in the Cheberloy
District
Since yesterday morning bitter fighting has been
going on in the Cheberloy District. Large units of the
Russians supported by combat helicopters attacked the
Chechen positions and managed to advance 200 metres.
The mujahideen retreated and moved into prepared new positions southeast of the first line of defence. The height of Mount Surakh Lam is being held by the Chechen fighters.
General Bakuyev Baudi says that mobile units managed to bypass the enemy and to attack the Russians' flank. This manoeuvre enabled the Chechens to gain time to fortify themselves in the new positions.
So far, there are no reports on the casualties of either side.
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