Russian Military Predicts Long Resistance by Separatists

A Russian general was quoted Sunday as saying a major army campaign to crush separatist strongholds in the mountains of southern Chechnya will not end all rebel resistance in the region.

Military sources said troops were making advances in the Argun Gorge and had blockaded the village of Shatoi, the main rebel stronghold, where as many as 2,000 fighters are holed up.

Itar-Tass news agency quoted Lt. Gen. Gennady Troshev, deputy chief commander in Chechnya, as saying the rebels could continue their resistance even after their main strongholds were taken.

“When talking about the end of the military operation, we only mean defeating major rebel groups,” Troshev said.

He said many rebels were hiding in Russian-held areas preparing for hit-and-run attacks similar to those that forced Russia to withdraw its troops after the previous war of 1994-96.

Another senior commander, Vladimir Bulgakov, also predicted prolonged clashes with the rebels but added that the full-scale military campaign will soon be over.

“Our task is to destroy the last bandit in the mountains, and this task will be resolved in the near future,” he said in televised remarks.