Sixteen Russians, held as slaves in Dagestan for five years, were freed by the police. There have been several cases in the Caucasus where Russians are seized (or, in one instance, four soldiers were sold by other soldiers) and put to work in remote areas as slaves. In Chechnya, a force of some 1,500 rebels continued to occupy the village of  Tsentoroi. Several other villages have also suffered hit and run attacks. The Russians report that rebels have re-entered Grozny, where gunfire is again heard at night.