Russians Ready New Offensive Against 2 Chechen Strongholds

Russian troops are planning a new offensive against two rebel strongholds in the foothills south of the Chechen capital, a news agency reported Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Gennady Troshev told the Interfax news agency that his troops were preparing for a major assault on the towns of Shatoi and Vedeno, about 30 miles south and southeast of Grozny.

Troshev said 5,000 fighters loyal to Chechen President Dzhokar M. Dudayev used artillery to fortify positions in the two towns. Russian troops, he said, controlled the hills overlooking Shatoi and Vedeno.

The general said the Russian operation to flush the rebels from the foothills south of Grozny was going well, and half of the region was under control of government troops.

Troshev said rebels hiding in the hills and mountains are now sealed off from the plains to the north toward Grozny, and the only escape routes were to the former Soviet republic of Georgia in the southwest and the Russian region of Dagestan to the south and east, where Russian border guards are posted.

The Itar-Tass news agency, quoting the Russian military press center, reported that 10 Russian soldiers were killed and 13 were wounded in fighting since Wednesday. It said 123 rebels died.

The Chechen side claimed to have killed hundreds of Russians.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Itar-Tass said a second attempt at peace talks would take place June 10 under the auspices of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The first try, last week, lasted only a few hours and produced no agreement.