Two rebels surrender their banners in Chechnya

Two rebel units have lost the banners under which they fought in Abkhazia and Chechnya.

Two rebels surrendered to the Chechen Department of the Russian Federal Security Service with their banners on Thursday December 25, the regional headquarters on the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus told Interfax.

One of the banners belonged to the so-called Abkhazian Battalion, which took part in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict under the command of Shamil Basayev. The other banner belonged to the so-called Central Front of the Ichkerian Armed Forces.

Both the banners are real and actually belonged to Shamil Basayev, the headquarters said, referring to the results of an examination.