Urgent: Nine Russian Soldiers Killed in ChechnyaNine Russian soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in an explosion of mine landed by rebels near Chechnya's village of Avtury, Russian presidential aide on Chechnya Sergey Yastrzhembsky told reporters Saturday.A federal motorized convoy that had been involved in the fighting near south Chechnya's village of Serzhen-Yurt was heading for the base of stationing when a protection armored vehicle hit a land-mine near the village of Avtury close to Serzhen-Yurt, he said. Five people were killed on the spot and four others badly wounded and later died. Another seven soldiers sustained wounds of varying degrees, Yastrzhembsky said. Meanwhile, Yastrzhembsky denied reports by some media that about 40 federal soldiers were killed in the continuous battle near Serzhen-Yurt. "The federal force has lost only 13 people with 18 wounded over the five-day fighting near Serzhen-Yurt, killing over 100 of all the 200-250 rebels and injuring scores of the others," he said. A mop-up operation is still underway there, he noted. |
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