Moscow - Moscow announced yesterday the surrender of a key Chechen warlord and said hundreds of separatist guerrillas have been killed in recent fighting in the rebellious province.
Mr Ibragim Khultygov, the former security chief for the separatist Chechen government, gave himself up to Russian forces, the office of the Kremlin's spokesman on the conflict, Mr Sergei Yastr zhembsky, said. But a spokesman for the breakaway Chechen president, Mr Aslan Maskhadov, played down Mr Khultygov's status, saying he had been relieved of his duties in June, 1999. The head of a "small" armed group, he had not been in contact with the Chechen leadership since March and was no longer fighting Russian forces, the spokesman said.