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| Russia 'ends Chechnya operation' | Russia 'ends Chechnya operation' |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Russia has ended its "counter-terrorism operation" in the southern republic of Chechnya, the National Anti-terrorist Committee has told Russian media. | |
| The committee said the decision aimed "to create conditions to further normalise the situation in the region". | |
| Russian forces have fought two major campaigns against separatist rebels in the predominantly Muslim republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union. | Russian forces have fought two major campaigns against separatist rebels in the predominantly Muslim republic since the collapse of the Soviet Union. |
| Sporadic clashes persist, but major fighting died down several years ago. | |
| Last month, President Dmitry Medvedev asked the security services to consider ending the operation that has been in force for a decade, saying the situation in Chechnya had "normalised to a large degree". | |
| "We must create new possibilities for investment and employment," he told officials in a broadcast on state television. | |
| There was no immediate information from the anti-terrorist committee on what Wednesday's decision would mean for the deployment of troops in Chechnya or the security restrictions that are in place. | |
| These include curfews, road blocks, periodic searches by the security forces for suspected Islamist fighters, and easier detention rules. |