Thursday, September 2, 1999 Published at 16:14 GMT 17:14 UK
Dagestan rebel stronghold attacked
Villagers were evacuated from the fighting
The Russian Interior Ministry says its troops have entered the last stronghold of Muslim rebels in the Caucasian republic of Dagestan.
Heavy fighting is reported to be continuing around the village of Chabanmakhi, near the border with Chechnya.
Russian commander General Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov said the operation against the rebels would be finished by Friday.
He said his forces had also captured the nearby village of Karamakhi, and surrounded the estimated 120 remaining militants.
The announcements follow unconfirmed reports that Russian troops had already gained control of the two villages by Monday.
The insurgents, many of whom are said to be members of the fundamentalist Wahhabi sect, had declared an independent Islamic state in the area and seized several villages before being driven out by the Russians.
But the Russians' first push against the rebels stayed away from the Karamakhi region, which is where the Islamists are strongest.
The Dagestan militants have close links with Islamic fundamentalists in Chechnya, and much of their support is believed to have come from across the border.