51.  He then told journalists that he had been captured with his unit by separatist forces in January when they went to a village to ask for food.

52.  Heavy fighting erupted early Tuesday between Chechen separatist forces and Russian troops near Grozny.

53.  However, Chechen separatist forces have put up a fierce resistance and intense Russian aerial and artillery bombardments have reduced much of Grozny to rubble.

54.  In Grozny, fighting was still raging Thursday evening in the centre of the city, where separatist forces have encircled Russian troops in government buildings.

55.  In Moscow, Russian first deputy airforce commander General Viktor Kot told Russian television that the leadership in Azerbaijan might have sold arms to the Chechen separatist forces.

56.  It also gives good play to allied Serb separatist forces from neighbouring Croatia.

57.  A commander of the Abkhazia battalion meanwhile conceded that Chechen separatist forces had started withdrawing from the capital.

58.  A top commander of separatist forces in Chechnya was critically injured in a grenade attack Tuesday, Interfax news agency reported.

59.  Abkhazia has demanded that Georgians who fought against separatist forces be barred from going home to Abkhazia.

60.  An Azerbaijani journalist was killed in an area of Chechnya held by separatist forces, a Russian military spokesman said Thursday.