"Federal forces have completed a special operation in the Vedeno, Shali and Shatoi districts of Chechnya. The final stage of the operation focused on search of the survived members of the militant bands as well as on detection of the latter's bases and arms caches," the statement says.
According to the Staff, in the course of the search and reconnaissance operation undertaken on Friday, federal forces spotted and destroyed an improvised cover and a base designed to accommodate 10-15 militants.
The document specifies that at the base federal forces found a vast amount of medical supplies, about 1,500 rounds of 5.45mm ammunition, 27 grenades, about 2 kilos of TNT, and subversive literature propagating extremist views of religious nature.
"As a result of a search-and-reconnaissance operation near the village of Belgatoi in the Vedeno district, federal forces spotted and destroyed an observation post and an improvised cover for 3-5 militants. In addition, they found and destroyed a mined arms cache near the confluence of rivers Benoyassi and Aksai," the statement says.
The Staff spokesman, Ilya Shabalkin earlier told RIA Novosti that in the course of their special operation in southern Chechnya federal forces had eliminated 18 terrorists. He pointed out that the reinforcement units engaged in the operation have already returned to their bases of permanent deployment. Ambush posts were set up along routes of militants' likely passage.
He told RIA Novosti that according to information obtained by federal forces during the special operation, commanders of militant groups, particularly in the Vedeno district, had practically lost any possibility to exercise control over their subordinates. Command and control facilities have been effectively disrupted. The bands have lost touch with each other as well as with their command center.
Intelligence data reveal that in the last two months militant bands operating in southern Chechnya, especially in the Vedeno district, have stopped receiving instructions from their leaders, Shabalkin pointed out.
The special operation started in early May following a series of major combat actions registered in some districts of the Chechen Republic. In response, the Republic's leadership made a decision to conduct a large-scale operation to liquidate the militant bands.
