TBILISI, Georgia?U.S. plans to train Georgian troops in anti-terrorist operations have prompted some Chechen rebels to leave the Pankisi Gorge even before the American soldiers arrive, Georgia’s deputy defense minister said Thursday.

Gela Bezhuashvili said the government has been conducting a public relations campaign in the tense region along the border with the Russian separatist province of Chechnya about Georgia’s growing determination to restore order. U.S. officials reported dozens of al Qaeda linked terrorists are operating in the region.

Since the announcement last week that the United States would send up to 200 troops, “We have information that a small group of rebels have left Pankisi,” Bezhuashvili said in an interview. He predicted many more would follow.

Although Georgia in January increased security operations in Pankisi, it claims it won’t attempt an assault in the near future.