At about 5:00 a.m. on March 3, 2003, Russian servicemen carried out their usual "special operation" in the village Sernovodsk of Sunja district, Chechnya. According to the reports of eye-witnesses, the Russians detained 5 local residents and took them away in the unknown direction. The occupants did not say anything about the reason of detention. In the second half of the same day, the sub-units of Russian forces, carrying out a "zachistka" operation in the village Sernovodks, blockaded the village Samashki of Achkhoy-Martan district, Chechnya. According to information received, the Russians detained 12 local residents. Later, having been tortured and severely beaten, 8 of them were set free. Nothing is known about the rest four detainees. On 1 March 2003, the Zavodskoy district of Grozny was blockaded by the Russian servicemen. According to the information received, a large-scale
retaliatory "zachistka" operation was carried out in the capital. No data on the number of detainees and missing civilians as a result of the operation is available.

Information Centre of "The Council of NGO"
March 6, 2003

http://www.chechenpress.info/english/news/03_2003/09/9.htm