| Federal forces crushed several illegal armed groups in mountainous Chechnya, destroying field commanders who were close to separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, deputy head of interior troops Lt-Gen Nikolai Rogozhkin told reporters on Thursday. Rogozhkin said head of Aslan Maskhadov's security service Akhmad Avdorkhanov could be among the destroyed militants. His henchmen recently attacked police and agents of the security service of the Chechen president. The operation of federal forces was carried out in the Kurchaloi, Nozhai-Yurt and Gudermes districts of the republic. Leaders of illegal paramilitary formations make efforts to destabilize the situation in Chechnya, "but they all meet with adequate response from the federal forces," Rogozhkin said. When asked about the whereabouts of separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, Rogozhkin noted that "he is in Chechnya," adding that it was not possible to be more specific at present. |