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Russian withdrawal from Chechnya nears end

chechnya map December 30, 1996
Web posted at: 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT
)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- The Russian troop pullout from Chechnya is expected to be completed by Sunday -- about two weeks earlier than planned under a peace deal with separatist rebels.

About 8,000 Russian Interior Ministry soldiers had already left Chechnya since the withdrawal began this month, the ministry's chief of staff, General Pavel Maslov, was quoted by the ITAR-Tass news agency as saying.

In addition, the Interfax news agency reported the army has pulled out about 3,000 troops. Under the peace deal signed on August 31, Moscow promised to withdraw its forces, which were sent to Chechnya in December 1994 to quell the region's independence bid. Russia's military command in Chechnya has said only logistics and transport units would be left behind.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 
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