MOSCOW -- Amid signs that fighting in the Russian republic of Dagestan has spread into neighboring Chechnya, military officials admitted for the first time yesterday that they faced serious problems in their bid to control a guerrilla rebellion in the troubled southern republic.
Russian planes continued rocket and bomb attacks in the area of seven Dagestani villages seized by Islamic militants who invaded from nearby Chechnya last weekend.
The Russian claims in recent days that soldiers of the Interior and Defense ministries and Dagestani police had forced the rebels to retreat appeared increasingly questionable, as a senior official in the regional government conceded that the Russian efforts were disorganized.
Several Chechen villages near the border with Dagestan were hit yesterday by Russian bombs and rockets, according to officials in Chechnya.
The separatist republic of Chechnya remains part of Russia but has slipped out of Moscow's control since the 1994-1996 Chechen war for independence.
Russia's most dangerous security crisis since the Chechen war has come at a bad time for the Kremlin, with President Boris N. Yeltsin's regime desperate to stay in power beyond elections scheduled to be held next July.
The Dagestan conflict has a frightening resonance for Russians, the more so because the Islamic rebels are led by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who is perceived in Russia as a fanatical and threatening enemy. Basayev was one of the more ruthless and formidable rebel commanders during the Chechen war.
Russia's acting deputy interior minister, Lt. Gen. Igor N. Zubov, said yesterday that the situation remained grave, with Russian forces facing challenges in operating against the guerrillas in mountainous terrain.
"We should be clearly aware that it is difficult to achieve an outright victory over guerrilla units," Zubov said.
Mukhu G. Aliyev, chairman of the People's Assembly of Dagestan, hinted that unless federal efforts became better organized, Russia risks losing part of Dagestani territory to the rebels.
"We have sufficient forces. What we need is better organization," he said. "We need better control. We must act more purposely. If we do this, there will be no changes to the map."
Yeltsin met with security officials yesterday to discuss the Dagestan emergency. He said the Russians will reassert control over Dagestan "gradually, without haste, just as it was planned."
