VLADIKAVKAZ, North Ossetia

Federal troops rounded up dozens of people during a continuing sweep operation in Grozny and other Chechen towns, an official said Saturday.

Human Rights Watch released a statement Saturday saying that troops were committing serious violations during the so-called mopping-up operations, including torture and the "forced disappearance" of detained suspects.

Troops sealed off Grozny on Thursday and also conducted sweeps in towns in the Shali and Vedeno districts south of the capital, an official in the Moscow-appointed Chechen administration said.

At least 120 people were detained over the past 24 hours on suspicion of participating in rebel military formations, the official said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official gave nearly the same figure Friday for the previous 24-hour period.

The UN Commission on Human Rights is scheduled to debate Russia's conduct of the Chechen operation next week in Geneva, Human Rights Watch said.

"The Russians have a lot of explaining to do," said Elizabeth Andersen, executive director of the organization's European and Central Asian division. "The government says it has taken measures to improve the conduct of forces on sweep operations, but they're not working and the situation is deteriorating."

Human Rights Watch said at least 10 men "disappeared" during recent sweep operations in the village of Staryi Atagi, and the corpses or burned remains of nine other people were found.

In the village of Katyr-Yurt, the bodies of village administrator Akhmad Bokov and his wife were found in a cemetery on Friday, the day after they were married, the Chechen administration official said. Interfax reported that their bodies were riddled with bullet wounds.

A gunman burst into a police station in Grozny and opened fire, wounding three police officers before being shot dead, the official said Friday.


Three Children Found Dead in Chechnya

A grave with remains of three children - aged 9 to 13 has been discovered in Shelkovskoi district of Chechnya. The grave is located less than one kilometer from the village of Chervlenaya. A source in the district administration has reported that the bodies bear signs of violent death. Forensic expertise has shown that the children were shot dead. The victims are not identified yet. Investigation is under way.