A suicide bomber has killed four police officers and wounded five people in the provincial capital of Chechnya.

Russia ordered an end to its counter-terrorism operation in Chechnya today in a move that could lead to the withdrawal of tens of thousands of troops from the southern republic.

Chechnya’s president-elect pledged to bring peace and stability to his war-torn southern Russian region today after the Kremlin-backed candidate was elected in a vote tainted by allegations of fraud and overshadowed by fears of terrorism.

The Kremlin’s favoured candidate for president of war-battered Chechnya overwhelmingly won an election that opponents claimed was riddled with fraud, Russian news agencies reported today.

Thousands of mourners flocked to Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov’s native village for his funeral today, a day after the Moscow-backed leader was killed by a bomb blast that cast Russia’s efforts to stabilise and control the war-ravaged region into chaos.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has vowed retribution after an explosion ripped through a stadium in the Chechnya’s capital during a Victory Day parade, killing its president Akhmad Kadyrov.

At least eight Russian servicemen have been killed and another 16 wounded in the latest rebel raids and land mine explosions in Chechnya.

The prime minister of Chechnya Anatoly Popov was flown to a Moscow hospital early today after suffering a serious case of poisoning.

A man has been arrested after at least five people died when bombs rocked a commuter train in southern Russia today.

At least five people were killed today when an explosion rocked a commuter train in southern Russia, officials said.

A truck bomb explosion ripped through a government compound in northern Chechnya today, killing at least 41 people including six children and wounding more han 100 others.

At least 30 people have now been confirmed killed today in a suicide truck bombing at a government compound in northern Chechnya - and some estimates say 50 people may have been killed.

At least 16 people were killed today in northern Chechnya in what appeared to be a suicide truck bombing at a district administration building.

A senior intelligence aide to Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov was jailed for 13 years for murder by a Russian court today.

Russian officials today criticised a British decision to release on bail a senior Chechen envoy Moscow accuses of murder and rebellion.

European human rights groups today condemned Moscow’s campaign in Chechnya, claiming Russian forces have killed up to 20,000 civilians over the past three years.

European Union leaders and Russian president Vladimir Putin were debating economic, political and trade ties at a Brussels summit today, with human rights groups pressuring the EU to persuade Moscow to ease its crackdown on rebels in Chechnya.

A Russian military helicopter was shot down by rebels in Chechnya today, killing nine soldiers, Interfax news agency reported.

At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured today when a bus was blown up after running over a mine in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.

At least 21 riot police have died in a landmine attack on their convoy in the Chechen capital, Grozny.

At least 15 riot police officers were killed today in an explosion in the Chechen capital, Grozny, witnesses and news agencies said.

Two Russian police officers have been killed when a car bomb exploded near the border with Chechnya.

Five people were killed and about 30 injured in a bomb blast at an outdoor market in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan, officials said.

Eleven police officers in rebel Chechnya who were investigating the killing of two other policemen were ambushed by insurgents and shot dead, an official said today.

Prominent Chechen warlord, Arbi Barayev, was killed in an operation by Russian troops who had blockaded a central Chechen town for days to search for him and other rebel fighters, officials said today.

Ten Russian servicemen have been killed in Chechnya by land mines and rebel attacks over the past 24 hours.

Several suspects have been arrested over the three bombings in southern Russia that killed at least 21 people and injured more than 100 others.

Three simultaneous car bomb blasts killed at least 21 people and wounded more than 100 others today in southern Russia near the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

At least 14 people were killed and more than 70 were wounded in three bomb blasts this morning in southern Russia, police officials said.

At least nine people have been killed after a car exploded in southern Russia.

Ten people are reported dead and several others injured after a series of explosions in Chechnya.

Ten people have been killed and eleven injured in two explosions in southeren Russia.