SITUATION IN CHECHEN REPUBLIC








STAVROPOL, KHANKALA, MARCH 1, 2001. /From RIA Novosti Correspondent./  A border detail at one of the sections of the Russian-Azerbaijani border have detained two residents of Chechnya. The frontier guards' attention was drawn by the marks from multiple fire wounds and scars on their faces. As is the usual practice the men who are suspected of complicity in illegal armed formations will be specially checked.   


	The detained men said that they had paid a private taxi driver 15,000 roubles to get them to the place where they intended to illegally cross over the border to Azerbaijan. 


	In the village of Argun in the Chechen Republic, three gunmen and the car in which they were driving were destroyed.  According to the press-centre of the Joint Grouping of Troops in the Northern Caucasus the bandits were carrying a submachine gun, two pistols, two radio stations and a lot of ammunition.


	Apart from that, during the past 24 hours units of the federal forces on the territory of Chechnya discovered three  caches containing large quantities of arms and explosives.  The explosives were blown up.


	During the same period, 15 illegal mini oil refineries were destroyed in the Chechen Republic. -0 (tol/var) 


	01/03/01    11:57