- Title: RUSSIA: REBEL CHECHEN FIGHTERS AGREE TO LEAVE SEIZED POLICE STATION AND DISARM
- Date: 21st August 1995
- Summary: ARGUN, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA (AUGUST 21, 1995) (REUTERS TV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV CROWD (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. SV CHECHEN FIGHTERS SITTING ON GROUND, EATING (3 SHOTS) 0.21 3. LV HELICOPTER OVERHEAD 0.26 4. SV REBEL CHECHEN COMMANDER ALAUDI KHAMZATOV SAYING HE CAME TO ARGUN ON REBEL CHECHEN LEADER DZHOKHAR DUDAYEV'S ORDERS, HE IS A COMMANDANT OF ARGUN AND HE WANTS RUSSIAN TROOPS TO LEAVE (RUSSIAN) / CHECHEN FIGHTERS (3 SHOTS) 0.46 5. SV CHECHEN FIGHTERS DOWN STREET CHANTING 0.56 6. SV CHECHEN CHIEF OF STAFF ASLAN MASKHADOV WITH CHECHEN FIGHTERS, SAYING HE WILL TELL THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, THE (REBEL) FIGHTERS WILL GO HOME AND LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS AT HOME UNTIL A DATE IS SET FOR OFFICIAL DISARMAMENT. I THEN HOPE TO CONVINCE THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES TO WITHDRAW THEIR TROOPS (RUSSIAN) 1.35 7. LV/SV RUSSIAN ARMOURED COLUMN DOWN ROAD (2 SHOTS) 1.48 8. TRACKING SHOT OF RUSSIAN ARMOURED COLUMN AT ROADSIDE 2.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 5th September 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ARGUN, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAF0BM0ISYV59KCX9BB4KU8WCG0
- Story Text: About 250 fighters loyal to Chechnya's rebel leader Dzhokhar Dudayev who seized the main police station in the Chechen town of Argun, said on Monday (August 21) they were ready to lay down their arms, Itar-Tass news agency said.
It quoted the chief Chechen spokesman Movladi Udugov, who held talks with the rebels during the day, as saying that the fighters agreed to leave the police station and disarm.
The rebels, led by Chechen field commander Alaugi Khamzatov, earlier released four policemen they had been holding hostage in Argun, just to the east of the Chechen capital Grozny, Tass said.
The Russian military had said it would use aircraft and artillery to destroy the rebels.
A Reuter correspondent in Argun earlier said Russian forces had surrounded the police station, which was seized on Sunday, and helicopter gunships were hovering over the area. The rebels had set up machineguns on adjacent buildings.
Tass said Udugov had told both Chechen and Russian military commanders that the rebels were willing to surrender.
The seizure of the police station jeopardised efforts to end the eight-month-old Chechen conflict in which thousands of people have been killed.
Chechen rebels against Russian rule started disarming under a military deal reached with the Russians on July 30.
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