Russian military helicopter downed near Chechnya

A Russian military helicopter has been shot down in the republic of Ingushetia, which borders Chechnya.

Two crew members were on board and both died, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

It was hit by a shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile near the village of Galashki.

The helicopter had been involved in a fight between a group of Chechen fighters and Russian troops.

The Interfax news agency, quoting a Russian military source, says the helicopter was a Mi-24 and was brought down about 8am local time.

According to the news agency, the helicopter crashed to the ground killing two crew members on board.

The rebels also shot at another helicopter but it was not damaged, said Madina Khadziyeva, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry in Ingushetia.

It's the latest in a string of crashes of Russian military helicopters in the Caucasus.

Mr Khadziyeva added that the fighting in Galashki began at dawn when a group of fighters emerged from a nearby patch of forest.

An aide to Kremlin spokesman Sergei Yastrzhembsky says the fighters had originated in the Pankisi Gorge, near Chechnya.