Russian troops check a garage booby trapped by Chechen rebels

January 29, 2000
Web posted at: 4:03 p.m. EST (2103 GMT)

In this story: Russians to look into terrorist ties Chechen snipers keep some troops at bay RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

MOSCOW -- Fifty-four Chechen rebels surrendered in the Chechen capital of Grozny, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, chief Russian spokesman on the conflict, was quoted as saying on Saturday.

VIDEO CNN's Steve Harrigan shows the challenges Russian troops face in their battle for Grozny, particularly the threat posed by snipers. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD The battle for Chechnya

Chechen spokesman Movladi Udugov, however, has vigorously denied that any Chechen rebels have surrendered to Russian Army units in Grozny.

The Interfax news agency quoted Yastrzhembsky as saying that the group surrendered to local prosecutors and to militia commanded by the pro-Moscow Chechen leader Bislan Gantamirov.

Many of the fighters who handed in weapons and surrendered were badly injured and received treatment on the spot, Yastrzhembsky reportedly said. He said others were taken to Urus-Martan, near Grozny, to be turned over to police.

Russians to look into terrorist ties

Gantamirov said on Friday he had struck a cease-fire deal with groups of rebels in some areas of the capital.

Chechen snipers were apparently holding out in this Grozny apartment building

Investigations would determine whether the fighters were involved in "terrorist acts," Yastrzhembsky said, including apartment bombings in Moscow and other Russian cities last year that killed about 300 people.

Those bombings, for which rebels deny responsibility, and Chechen rebel incursions into the republic of Dagestan prompted Russia to invade Chechnya in September.

Those absolved of responsibility for terror attacks would be eligible for an amnesty, Yastrzhembsky said.

Chechen snipers keep some troops at bay

A tank blasts the building where rebel snipers were believed to be stationed

Russian news reports from the region said heavy fighting was still gripping much of Grozny, with both sides engaged in a 10-day-old battle for the crucial Minutka Square, which leads to central districts of the capital.

Rebel sniper fire continued to slow down Russian advances.

In one instance, a Russian tank blasted an apartment building where snipers apparently had been stationed.

"There must have been 60 or 70 of them, judging from the beds," said a Russian soldier. But, he added, they "had time to pack all their dishes before they left."

The rebels, however, left something behind -- a booby-trapped garage. When opened by Russian soldiers, the garage exploded in flames, killing one soldier and badly burning two others.

Correspondent Steve Harrigan and Reuters contributed to this report.

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