State of war may be lifted in Chechnya

GROZNY, Russia, March 28 (UPI) -- The state of war in the once-rebellious Russian region of Chechnya may be officially declared over this month, officials said.

Even though the second Chechen war between Russian interior security forces and Muslim rebels -- which began in 1999 -- has, in fact, been over for years, the counter-terrorism security regime imposed by the republic's government may also now be lifted, ITAR-TASS reported Saturday.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov this week told reporters the anti-terrorist operation -- along with the restrictions it encompasses -- will be ended Monday or Tuesday, although there has been no official confirmation from Moscow.

Many other officials, however, have been noting Chechnya now seems much more stable, while the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta recently quoted an anonymous Russian presidential staffer confirming that Kremlin authorities were discussing ending the operation.

A formal dropping of the state of war would mean foreigners would be able to make trips to Chechnya without any restrictions or prior requests for permission and some temporary security forces would be pulled out, ITAR-TASS said.