Moscow - Nineteen Chechen rebels were killed in a shootout after they ambushed a Russian troop convoy, Russia's military command in the North Caucasus was quoted as saying yesterday by ITARTASS.
The office of President Putin's Chechnya spokesman, Mr Sergei Yastrzhembsky, confirmed Tuesday's attack by some 40 rebels in Mesker-Yurt, about 30 km east of the capital Grozny, adding that federal forces had not suffered any casualties, Interfax reported. However, a top Chechen rebel spokesman, Mr Movladi Udugov, said that 15 Russian soldiers were killed and two separatist fighters wounded.