DAGESTAN: RUSSIAN LAUNCHES NEW AIRSTRIKES

Arabic/Nat Russian forces launched new air strikes on Saturday in an attempt to dislodge Islamic militants holed up in two villages in the southern republic of Dagestan. The bombing runs continued for the 14th day in the villages of Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi that are still partly occupied by militants who imposed strict Islamic law over them last year. Fighting also continued in the Novolakskoye region of western Dagestan, where a Russian helicopter was shot down by Islamic militants who invaded fr