The Chechen guerilla units have lost up to 20 people over the past three days, said spokesman for the regional headquarters for the antiterrorist operation in the North Caucasus Col. Ilya Shabalkin. On May 26, federal forces launched special operations to hunt down guerillas led by warlords Abdullayev and Tasuyev in the Shali, Shatoi, and Vedeno districts in southern Chechnya. \"Such serious operations were launched after information was received from rebels who had been detained or gave up earlier,\" Shabalkin said. In addition, federal forces laid ambushes in the Shatoi district and neutralized dispersed rebel units retreating from the areas where the operations were carried out, he said. \"Since the operation was started, 20 rebels have been killed and 12 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 6 light machine-guns, 15 light grenade launchers, 2 Makarov pistols, 57 grenades, 12 homemade explosive devices, 5,000 cartridges for Kalashnikov rifles, and 732 cartridges for Makarov pistols have been confiscated,\" Shabalkin said. \"In addition, several rebel bases, each capable of accommodating from 15 to 20 people, were revealed and destroyed,\" he said. Local residents, particularly farmers and shepherds, provided significant assistance in conducting these operations by telling the federal forces where rebel groups were moving, Shabalkin said. \"The aviation and artillery delivered strikes upon the designated areas,\" he said. \"No servicemen were killed, but three people from the Vostok battalion commanded by Sulim Yamadayev suffered wounds,\" he said. \"On Friday morning, the operations in these districts were finished, and the troops were returned to their permanent bases,\" Shabalkin said. Meanwhile, a law enforcement source told Interfax that about 20 members of illegal armed units and also people suspected of having committed grave crimes and placed on the federal wanted list have been detained over these days. (Interfax)