GROZNY/MOSCOW. April 11 (Interfax) - A source in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that it could be stated "with a large degree of confidence" that Jordanian-born Chechen rebel warlord Khattab was killed in a Russian "intelligence and combat operation." 
	
	
 "One can say this with a large degree of confidence as, in the past two months, Khattab has not made his presence obvious in any way - he hasn't been on air, and actions by militants in the region controlled by Khattab are uncoordinated too. Reports by our informers also confirm the likelihood of his death," the source said. 
	
	
 The source, who had taken part in the operation, did not disclose its dates. 
	
	
 "An agent from among the Arabs who are fighting in Chechnya had earlier been recruited by the special services of one of the states in the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] and was involved in the operation to liquidate Khattab," he said. 
	
	
 The source, interviewed by Interfax in Grozny, expressed confidence that that the command of the Russian forces in Chechnya would soon "be able to obtain documentary confirmation" that Khattab was dead. 
	
	
 Official FSB sources in Moscow, when asked by Interfax, declined to make any comments. 
	
	
 Nor has Interfax been able to obtain confirmation from any other source. 
	
	
 Repeated reports last year and this year said Khattab had been killed, but none of them has been confirmed by documentation.