Muslim rebels launched a major counteroffensive against Russian troops in separatist Chechnya yesterday and were locked in battle in several areas, reports citing military sources in the region said.
Interfax news agency, quoting military sources, said rebels had burst through Russian lines in two towns, Argun and Shali, both east of the besieged regional capital, Grozny, where the Russian military has declared a temporary halt to attacks.
An attempt to seize Gudermes, Chechnya's second city, was beaten back, the report said.
But another report by ITARTASS news agency told of a new success in Russia's drive to subdue the rebels, saying troops had sealed off their mountain stronghold of Vedeno, further south.
NTV television reported that Gen Sergei Makarov, commander of the eastern division, had begun talks with elders in the town.
A rebel spokesman, Mr Movladi Udugov, speaking by satellite telephone, had earlier denied Russian reports that their troops had cut off Vedeno, saying the mountain terrain made it impossible to surround the town.
Interfax news agency, quoting the acting chief-of-staff of the eastern group of troops in Chechnya, Gen Vyacheslav Ikayev, said fighting was raging in Argun after 300 rebels surrounded the military command headquarters and the railway station. A motorised unit was trying to break through to help elite OMON troops and a special unit defending the two points in the town, 15km east of Grozny.
RIA news agency, quoting military sources, said about 100 rebels had broken through Russian lines in Shali, further south, and seized the town's main administrative building. It said both Russian troops and local officials had suffered casualties.
Interfax said the arrival of Russian armoured vehicles in the town had brought fighting to a halt. Both towns had previously been held by Russian forces.
Another convoy of Interior Ministry troops conveying supplies to troops in Dzhalka, northeast of Grozny, had been ambushed by rebels and requested reinforcements, it said.
Interfax quoted Chechnya's Vice-President, Mr Vakha Arsanov, as saying that rebel fighters had knocked out 43 armoured vehicles near Argun. New waves of fighters were arriving to reinforce groups trying to take control of the key buildings, the news agency said.
It also quoted the press secretary of the Chechen President, Mr Aslan Maskhadov, as saying rebels had already seized Shali. Mr Aslanbek Arsayev also said rebels had destroyed a convoy of 10 Russian armoured vehicles and trucks outside Argun.
Russia called a halt at the weekend to its efforts to drive the rebels out of Grozny, with its Acting President, Mr Vladimir Putin, describing the initiative as a gesture of respect for Orthodox Christmas, celebrated on Friday, and the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Mr Putin also said the halt was called because of the danger posed to thousands of stranded residents by what he said was the rebels' use of chemical substances.
The Russians said last week that rebels were using 20,000 civilians as human shields in Grozny. The separatist fighters say 40,000 civilians remained trapped in grim conditions.
NTV reported that Russian forces had surrounded two villages, Simsir and Sterch Ketch, about 70 km south-east of Grozny, and news agencies said warplanes had pounded rebel bases across the southern mountains. It said troops had killed 60 rebels.