Federal forces continue to round up Chechen civilians

Yastrzhembskii also said on 3 February that federal forces in Chechnya had detained 140 civilians in 22 settlements over the previous 24 hours, ITAR-TASS reported. A Defense Ministry spokesman in Grozny said the same day that federal units are checking identity papers in five villages, including Alkhan- Kala, southwest of Grozny. Chechen NGOs had reported on 31 January that federal forces were rounding up civilians, including women, in Nauri and Shelkovskii Raions (in northwest and northeast Chechnya, respectively) and transporting them to filtration camps. LF