A federal soldier was killed and another wounded in a skirmish with a group of militants in the south of the troubled North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, the local Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
According to the ministry, a battle between units of the Vostok battalion and a group of about 15 militants occurred late Monday near the village of Tazen-Kala, in a mountainous and wooded area of the Vedeno district of Chechnya.
"A battle with up to 15 militants occurred on Monday two kilometers (1.2 miles) to the northwest of the village of Tazen-Kala," a ministry source said, adding that the skirmish lasted for about an hour.
The source said the ministry had no confirmed information about casualties among the militants, but some earlier reports said up to five militants might have been killed.
Chechnya was devastated by two military campaigns, in 1994-1996 and 1999-2001, after which Moscow significantly scaled back its military presence in the republic. However, random fighting and terrorist attacks still occur in the area, despite a widely publicized amnesty campaign announced by Russian authorities.
sections: Accidents, Region News
regions: Southern region |
Russian News
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