Gang of gunmen who intruded into Russia from Pankisi in Georgia has been eliminated

Practically the entire gang of gunmen who broke into Chechnya from the side of the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia at the end of last week, has been liquidated. RIA Novosti learned this on Friday from the Federal Security Service of Russia. Taking part in the operation were frontier guards, military, as well as FSB and Interior Ministry units. They acted efficiently and in close coordination, despite the fact that the Georgian authorities did not warn them of the intention of the gunmen to break through to the territory of Chechnya, said a spokesman for the Russian state security service.

According to him, at present all units of federal forces which were used in that operation have returned to the places of their former deployment.

The FSB specially stressed that many armed gunmen are still in the Pankisi Gorge on Georgian territory. Moscow does not rule out that groups of extremists may again make attempts to cross over the Russian border. In this connection the command of the joint group of troops in Chechnya hopes that in future the Georgian authorities will inform the Russian side in advance of gunmen in the Pankisi Gorge and of their plans.