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MOSCOW, April 10 (AFP)-Chechens have staged a wave of raids on Russian forces in the last 48 hours, probing the defenses of Moscow's troops, federal military headquarters said. The Russian military warned the situation would become more dangerous soon when spring arrives, providing Chechen forces with cover from green foliage that helped them win a previous conflict from 1994 to 1996. "The bandits are probing our forces, seeing if we can defend ourselves," a military source told ITAR-TASS news agency. "The situation will worsen when the mountain passes open" when the snows thaw, "and when green foliage begins to sprout, which could happen within the next week" the source added. In Chechnya's southern highlands, where most Chechen forces regrouped after Moscow captured the breakaway capital Grozny in February, Russian border posts came under fire in the Argun gorge, which snakes up towards neighboring Georgia. Chechens using automatic weapons and grenades, wounded one border guard and attacked three border posts military officials told ITAR-TASS. More than a dozen separate attacks were recorded over the weekend. Although mostly low-level incidents they appeared to confirm Chechen threats to launch a partisan war in which the Chechens would constantly harry Russian forces deep behind federal lines. However, the Chechens have shown themselves capable of mounting major military operations. They ambushed interior ministry commandos last month killing at least 43 Russians. A fierce mountaintop battle in southern Chechnya late February saw 84 paratroopers – among Russia's best-trained troops – killed by a large Chechen force. Russian commanders at the weekend said they had themselves switched tactics in order to better confront the threat posed by small units of 10-15 fighters, splitting up federal forces into similar sized platoons.
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