Probably a lot of "body count math" going on here. The statistic about the mini-refineries is interesting. The Chechens’ history over the last fifty years has been positively biblical. First Stalin deports their entire nation during WWII. Then the war after the fall of the USSR. There’s probably too much hatred here for any solution other than scorched earth.
GROZNY, July 20 (Itar-Tass) - Federal forces destroyed 52 gunmen in Chechnya over the last week and arrested 12 bandits, Tass learnt on Sunday at the regional headquarters on the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. Besides, commandoes and aviation wiped out seven major bases of gunmen as well as weapons and military property there. Over the same period, sappers warded off six terrorist acts. According to the headquarters, troops destroyed 107 caches with weapons and ammunition in various districts of the republic. They contained 58 submachineguns, 40 grenade launchers and the same number of shotguns, over 70 kilos of explosives, 29 home-made explosive devices, 13 walkie-talkies, nearly 100,000 cartridges to firearms, 494 hand grenades, 199 mines and artillery shells. Troops of the United Army Group and officers of the Federal Security Service and of the Chechen Interior Ministry smashed 98 mini oil refineries over the past week and seized 96 tonnes of petrol and diesel fuel. |