41.   In the last week, the Russians have stepped up the shelling and bombing campaign in preparation for a ground assault to capture the village.

42.   The report quoted the chechen rebel commander in the area as saying that Russian troops had been unable to capture the village.

43.   Vedeno was long a stronghold of the fighters loyal to Chechen separatist leader Dzhokhar Dudayev, but Russian forces captured the village last summer, only to withdraw later.

44.   Moslem rebels have advanced in the western Bosnian Bihac enclave, capturing one village and threatening to seize another from government forces, a UN spokesman said here Tuesday.

45.   Russian ground forces took a major step towards encircling the Chechen separatist bastion of Shali on Wednesday by capturing a village just to the north, Chechen fighters said.

46.   Russian ground forces took a major step towards encircling the Chechen separatist stronghold of Shali on Wednesday by capturing a village to the north, Chechen fighters said.

47.   The north had claimed it had captured the village.