Two fighters arrested in Chechnya

Two fighters have been arrested in the Novaya Zhizn village of the Kurchaloi district /Chechnya/ as a result of a search operation carried out by the Interior Ministry's task force in conjunction with Federal Security agents.

According to the regional staff for coordinating the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, the militants put up a stout resistance during the arrest opening small arms fire on the search group. Federal troops opened return fire leaving one fighter wounded in a hip. Staff officers added that the fighters were being identified.

In the Verkhny Noibera village of the Gudermes district, police officers arrested a local resident who had been put on the wanted list for the participation in illegal armed formations. A preliminary investigation revealed that the detainee was a member of the Israpilov gang the law-enforcement bodies eliminated in 2000. The detainee confessed in the crime and deliberately handed an assault rifle over to policemen. His involvement in earlier crimes is currently being investigated.

In the Gudermes district of Chechnya, officers of the Interior Ministry's task force arrested two locals suspected of murders. According to the regional staff, on May 11th, 2002, the suspects, local residents aged 35 and 24, killed another local on the bank of the River Belka four kilometres away from the Belorechye village. Their motives are yet to be cleared up. The suspects' membership in illegal armed formations and their involvement in other grave crimes is currently being investigated.

Policemen of the Urus-Martan district obtained information from local residents about the location of a person suspected of a murder, which took place this July. Policemen launched an operation to arrest the suspect. He is currently helping policemen with their inquiries.