Georgian Defense Ministry Reports Chechen Fighters are Leaving Pankisi

(Tbilisi, March 8, Civil Georgia) – Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili state on March 8, that small groups of Chechen fighters started to leave Pankisi gorge.

According to the Defense Ministry much more fighters will leave Pankisi later in spring as the weather condition in the mountainous regions will improve.

Gela Bezhuashvili states that Chechen fighters started to leave the gorge, since the United States took the decision to train Georgian antiterrorist unites.

Defense Ministry has no information in which direction Chechen fighters are moving.