"There Were Mercenaries From 52 Countries Among Chechen Militants"

Servicemen of the Combined Group of Forces in the North Caucasus killed militants from 52 countries when they carried out counter-terrorist operations in the region, Russian Interior Troops Deputy Commander Col. Gen. Valery Baranov said in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper published on Wednesday.

"During the period of [my service] there, we eliminated mercenaries from 52 countries of the world. They were generously sponsored professionals well versed in military issues and subversive activities.

Many of them had served in special operation services of various countries before they arrived in Chechnya," he said.

Apart from their anti-terrorist mission, Interior Troops servicemen helped the Chechen population return to a peaceful life, Baranov said. "None of the power transmission lines were rebuilt until we allocated all the necessary forces and means to do it. Only we delivered text-books to schools. Soldiers and officers did all this at the risk of

their lives," he said.

International terrorism continues to pose a threat to Russia, the deputy commander said. "Among other issues, it is necessary to discuss threats facing the very integrity of our state. One has to pay attention to the fact that in recent years, an ever-growing number of internal armed conflicts has erupted and evolved with the participation of third party forces, which tend to remain in the shadow. I mean international

terrorism," Baranov sad.