(Itar-Tass) - Fifty members of illegal armed groups voluntarily surrendered on Monday in Gudermes, Chechnyas second-largest city, on condition of personal safety guarantees of Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov. The surrender action took place in the grounds of a police regiment, reports Trend.
Kadyrov talked with each of the surrendering ex-militants, including a so-called emir, or commander, who once reported to Chechnyas former president Aslan Maskhadov and was in charge of reconnaissance of armed units.
Emirs of several districts and residential areas also surrendered.
An intense work of Kadyrov and chiefs of security services with relatives of people who stayed in bands preceded the surrender action.
I believe you, who have voluntarily laid down arms and decided to return to the peaceful life. If I did not believe you, you would not have stood here, Kadyrov told the ex-fighters.
Former battalion commander Ali Suleimenov, one of those who surrendered, said that we will be true friends of the whole Chechen people and personally Ramzan Kadyrov.
We hope that he will help our amnesty, he said.
The former members of armed groups have surrendered 20 submachine-guns, eight shoulder-fired grenade launchers, two machineguns and an ample supply of ammunition.
National Antiterrorist Committee head, Federal Security Service Director Nikolai Patrushev proposed in the middle of July the voluntary surrender of people staying with illegal armed units.
Chechnyas deputy prosecutor Nikolai Kalugin told reporters in Gudermes on Monday that 138 members of illegal armed units had reported to law authorities since then.
At present, each of them is undergoing a check, Kalugin said.
Deputy Prime Minister Adam Delimkhanov said that about 60 militants are staying in the mountains, and 20-30 foreign mercenaries from a number of Arab countries are also there.