VLADIKAVKAZ - A search of villages in the Shali district of Chechnya continued for a third day Saturday with Russian forces rounding up another 89 people suspected of participating in rebel operations, an official said.

The sweeps of Starye Atagi, Novye Atagi, Duba-Yurt, Chiri-Yurt and Ulus-Kert came as Russian aircraft bombed suspected rebel bases in the Nozhai-Yurt district in eastern Chechnya and artillery shelled insurgent bases in the east and south of the breakaway republic, the official in the pro-Moscow Chechen administration said.

He said 89 people were detained in the latest of the so-called mopping-up operations over the past 24 hours. At least another 100 people were detained on Thursday and Friday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Sixteen insurgents were killed during the three days of special operations, which were carried out by special units of the Russian Interior Ministry and local police in the Shali district 25 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of the capital Grozny , the ITAR-Tass news agency reported Saturday.

The sweeps of villages and detaining of suspects have drawn sharp criticism from international human rights groups and residents who allege that Russian troops use them as an excuse to loot villages and beat and torture civilians.

Russian officials say violations are isolated and the operations are necessary to maintain order and protect residents in villages where rebels are believed to be hiding out.

Although Russia claims that the active phase of the war in Chechnya is over, there are still near-daily clashes between Russian forces and Chechen insurgents.

Five Russian servicemen were killed and 12 were wounded in clashes with rebels, including 14 separate attacks on Russian positions and checkpoints, since Friday, the official said. Another soldier died when his car detonated a land mine in the town of Vedeno in southern Chechnya, he said.

The Associated Press