Russian troops to leave Chechnya
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev will withdraw troops from Chechnya as counter-terror campaign ends
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Thursday, 16, Apr 2009 12:52
Russian forces are to pull out of Chechnya after officials in Moscow called an end to their ten-year counter-terrorism operation against Chechen separatists.
A source in the Russian interior ministry told the BBC around 5,000 Russian soldiers would leave the territory.
Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov welcomed the news of the withdrawal. He told the Russian Interfax news agency: "The leadership of Russia has officially confirmed the fact that the nest of terrorism has been crushed, that illegal armed groups have been neutralised, and militant leaders on whose conscience lay the grief and suffering of thousands of people have been destroyed, detained and brought to court.
"Cancelling the counter-terrorism operation will only promote economic growth in the republic."
Russia's national anti-terrorist committee released a statement confirming the decree which imposed the operation on Chechnya had been cancelled.
It said: "This decision aims to create conditions to further normalise the situation in the region, to restore and develop its economic and social infrastructure."
Although the move represents an important symbolic gesture, no serious attacks by the Chechen rebels have occurred since 2004, and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev scaled back many of the security measures in place in the area, such as curfews and road blocks.
The predominantly Muslim state of Chechnya declared independence in 1991. Russian forces were sent in to restore authority in 1994 but they suffered an embarrassing defeat and were driven out. They returned in 1999 at the start of the counter-terrorism operation.