RUSSIA: CHECHNYA: GROZNY BOMBING RAIDS CONTINUE

Russian/nat

Russian jets and helicopters mounted more bombing raids on the Chechen capital Grozny on Friday while most of the city's remaining civilians tried to escape.

Numerous casualties were reported in the second consecutive daylight raid.

Smoke billowed over the city and the roads were packed with civilians trying to leave.

Argun, a small town about 15 kilometres outside Grozny has also suffered bombing raids.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin is reportedly seeking a peaceful solution to this crisis - there's little evidence of that on the ground.

Here, as elsewhere in Chechnya, most civilians are trying to leave, taking whatever possessions they can.

Chechen soldiers - from the regular army and volunteer militias - are staying on to fight the invading Russians.

It's an unequal fight, though, with Moscow's warplanes controlling the skies. The Chechens are also lightly armed, with almost no armour or heavy artillery.

While President Dzhokhar Dudayev continues to urge his people to wage a holy war against Russia, hundreds of Chechens have already died in the short struggle.

The Russians officially admit to some 60 dead.

There was a new blow today for the refugees trying to flee the fighting. Neighbouring Dagestan has sealed its border with Chechnya, so there's now one less escape route.

These refugees were lucky - they made it to Khasavyurt, just over the border with Dagestan, before the border closed.
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