January 10, 2000
Web posted at: 7:44 a.m. EST (1244 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

MOZDOK, Russia (CNN) -- Russian military officials acknowledge Monday that their forces have suffered casualties in the latest fighting in Chechnya, but say their soldiers have regained control of two key Chechen towns following a weekend rebel attack.

Rebels killed 26 Russian soldiers and wounded 30 others during the last 24 hours, an Interior Ministry official said Monday. Russia has said for weeks that its losses were no more than one or two a day, despite reports by soldiers in Chechnya that casualties were much higher.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said Monday that the temporary lull in bombing the Chechen capital, Grozny, for Orthodox Christmas was over. But Russian forces did not stop ground operations around the city despite the weekend lull.

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With its offensive to take Chechnya stalled, the Russian military had been forced on the defensive by Chechen rebels in recent days. The rebels launched attacks Sunday to take the towns of Argun and Shali, which were captured last month by Russian forces.

Russian commanders, however, said their troops had gained the upper hand in Argun and Shali. Col. Gen. Viktor Kazantsev claimed Russian forces Monday pushed back a force of 300 rebels who attacked Argun, 10 miles east of Grozny.

"The federal troops are in full control of the situation within the town," Kazantsev said. He added federal troops were "mopping up" Argun, an indication that scattered groups of rebels were still putting up resistance in the area. Kazantsev said Russian troops also gained the upper hand in Shali, located 12 miles southeast of Grozny. But military sources told the ITAR-Tass news agency that there was still heavy fighting in the town.

ITAR-Tass reported rebels were also holding hostages in a school in Gudermes, the largest Chechen city the Russians say they control. The news agency did not say how many hostages were being held, but said federal forces were trying to free them.

The fighting in Argun, Gudermes and Shali -- all seized by Russia weeks ago -- underscored how difficult it will be for federal forces to gain control of Chechnya, with the rebels able to attack deep into Russian-held territory.

The Russian military and Chechen rebels made counterclaims on Sunday about whether a key town near the Chechen capital of Grozny had fallen to Russian control. Russia conceded, however, that the rebels had taken back areas in the town of Argun from Russian troops.

According to Russian press reports, Russian troops, backed by war planes, have encircled the strategic town of Vedeno, which borders the republic of Dagestan. Vedeno is thought to be a major stronghold of Chechen rebels and is the hometown of Shamil Bassayev, a top Chechen commander who is considered public enemy No. 1 in Russia.

The rebels deny the reports about Vedeno. They also say they have reconquered some areas around the crucial and embattled capital, mainly Argun. These areas south of Grozny previously were taken by Russian troops.

The Russian military acknowledged the rebels blocked key points in Argun. Interfax news agency, quoting the press center of the eastern group of Russian troops in Chechnya, said 300 fighters had surrounded the military command headquarters and the railway station in Argun, 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of the capital Grozny.

Russia has been waging war against Islamic militants in the breakaway republic of Chechnya since September, after militants twice invaded the republic of Dagestan. Moscow also blames the rebels for a series of bombings in Russia that killed at least 300 people, but rebels deny responsibility.

Russia suffered disastrous losses in Grozny in its earlier 1994-1996 war in Chechnya.

Interfax: Fighting raging in Shali

RIA news agency, quoting Russian military sources, said about 100 rebels had burst through Russian lines in Shali, farther south, and seized the town's main administrative building. It said both Russian troops and local officials had suffered casualties. Interfax said fighting raged in Shali, but that Russian armored vehicles had made their way into the town.

Interfax quoted the press secretary of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov as saying that rebels had already seized Shali which, like Argun, had been occupied by Russian troops.

Interfax also reported that a convoy of interior ministry troops taking supplies to troops in Dzhalka, northeast of Grozny, had been ambushed by rebels and had requested reinforcements.

Russia has taken control of most of Chechnya's lowland towns and villages while the rebels are entrenched mainly in the southern mountains.

The Russian military on Friday scaled back its attacks on rebels in parts of Grozny, saying civilians were being used as human shields.

Correspondent Alessio Vinci and Reuters contributed to this report.

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