Six Russian soldiers were killed in two weekend landmine attacks in the republic of Chechnya, local agencies re ported yesterday, quoting military and police authorities.
In the southeastern Sernovodsk area, five soldiers were killed when the vehicle they were in was blown apart by a remote-controlled landmine, ITAR-Tass reported, quoting police. The force of the blast was such that wreckage was spread in a 100 metre radius.
Earlier yesterday, one Russian soldier was killed and several others wounded after rebels detonated a mine in the republic's capital Grozny, Interfax re ported federal military officials as saying.
The mine exploded in the city's southern Oktyabrysky district when a military vehicle transporting Russian servicemen was driving through, the news agency added.
Meanwhile the Russian military headquarters in the North Caucasus claimed that six rebels had died during helicopter gunship strikes on a guerrilla base in the mountainous region of Vedeno in southeastern Chechnya, ITAR-Tass reported.
Moscow has failed to stop guerrilla activity in the region since it sent troops to the republic in an "anti-terrorist" operation in October, 1999. Officially Russia has lost at least 3,000 troops in Chechnya but a committee of soldiers' mothers says the true figure is three times higher.