Basayev gives order to prevent Maskhadov's surrender to law-enforcement bodies

Shamil Basayev, one of the Chechen terrorist leaders, has issued an order to prevent the voluntary surrender of another terrorist, former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, to the law-enforcement bodies, the regional operational headquarters for control of the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus has reported this Wednesday.

"Almost every day, the power structures are finding and detaining the militants who tried to hide and who begin to give evidence against their accomplices as soon as they are caught by the law-enforcement bodies. Information has been received that due to the discord among the senior leaders of the illegal armed formations resulting from the refusal by a larger part of militants subordinate to Maskhadov to continue unlawful activities, Basayev has ordered his accomplices to prevent the possible surrender of Maskhadov to the law-enforcement bodies," the headquarters' representative said.

According to him, the information, which the law-enforcement bodies are receiving, suggests that the leaders of illegal armed formations constrained by the actions of the federal troops and the Chechen power structures are experiencing considerable difficulties in their efforts to keep rank-and-file militants within militant groups subordinate to them.

"The militants who have been detained say that many members of illegal armed formations are under stress due to the constant fear of their arrest. Terrorist leaders are extremely hot-tempered in relation to rank-and-file militants. On the whole, the atmosphere of fear and distrust reigns in militant groups," the headquarters' representative told RIA Novosti.