MOSCOW (AP) - A prominent human rights group on Tuesday accused Russian troops of killing at least three Chechen civilians and torturing, robbing and harassing dozens more during a four-day operation to flush suspected rebels out of a town.

The so-called "mopping-up exercise" in Tsotsin-Yurt between Dec. 30 and Jan. 3 resulted in "rough and massive violations of human rights and Russian legislative norms," the Moscow-based Memorial organization said in a report.

Fighting in the town of 7,000 was some of the worst seen in months in the 2-year-old Chechen war, sparking Western criticism of harsh Russian actions in its small separatist region - and prompting an angry Russian response again likening the war to the U.S.-led anti- terrorist campaign in Afghanistan.

"We unfortunately have to say that the situation in Chechnya is not better, it is not stable, it is not silent," said Oleg Orlov, head of Memorial, which has been one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's harshest critics.

Russian troops swept into Tsotsin-Yurt before the New Year, barricaded the village and began a house-to-house search for rebels. The operation lasted four days and Memorial said that by the time the Russian troops concluded the sweep, three villagers were dead, at least six were missing, 100 had been detained and dozens had been subjected to torture and beatings.

Men were dragged out of their homes, had their heads covered and were taken away to filtration sites, where they said they were subjected to further rough treatment, the rights group said.

Women were ordered to hand over money, jewelry and all valuable possessions as troops looted village homes. Some were threatened with rape, Memorial said.

It said the Sulikhadzhiyev family was told they had only two choices - "Money or I shoot," soldiers screamed at them.

The Russian military has repeatedly denied reports of widespread abuses, and has promised to investigate individual cases.

Memorial called on Russian forces to stop the mopping-up exercises, fully investigate all allegations of abuses and prosecute the suspects.

"People have no security," said Natalia Ektemirova, a resident of the Chechen capital Grozny and a member of Memorial. "They don't feel safe in their homes, in the courtyards, in their villages."

While large-scale battles in the war have mostly ended, the Russians continue to suffer daily losses from hit-and-run attacks and mine explosions. And they continue to stage artillery and jet attacks on suspected rebel positions.

"It simply continues and continues and continues," said Alexander Cherkasov of Memorial.

/The Associated Press/