Chechen rebels kill 19 Russian soldiers in a day

Intensified attacks by Chechen independence fighters have left 19 Russian soldiers dead in one of the bloodiest days recently in the rebel region.

Forty-nine soldiers have been wounded in the fighting, an official in the pro-Russian civilian administration has said.

Clashes have included 25 hit-and-run attacks on Russian checkpoints and headquarters, in which 11 servicemen died.

Other fighting includes an ambushing of a troop convoy near the town of Argun just east of the regional capital Grozny, which led to a 40-minute gunfight in which three soldiers died.

A police convoy has been fired on in Grozny, with three servicemen killed in that incident.