THE Kremlin-anointed police officer elected as Chechnya’s new leader in a vote condemned by many observers vowed yesterday to consign separatist extremists to the “dustbin of history”.

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.

A man who tried to bring a suspicious package into a polling station in Chechnya today was killed in an explosion as he ran away, election officials said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unannounced visit to Chechnya today, laying flowers at the grave of the war-ravaged region’s assassinated president.

THOUSANDS of troops poured into a southern Russian city yesterday chasing suspected Chechen rebels who set fire to police and government buildings and killed at least 48 people in overnight attacks.

Heavily-armed militants launched near-simultaneous overnight attacks against police headquarters, border guard stations and other government offices in Ingushetia, a Russian region bordering warring Chechnya, killing 46 people including three high-ranking regional officials.

THE Kremlin has given its support to Chechnya’s top police official who is seeking to replace the region’s assassinated president.