Up to 32 die in Chechnya attacks

Seven Russian soldiers and three policemen were killed in rebel attacks in Chechnya, an official in the Kremlin-backed Chechen administration said.

A Russian military official meanwhile reported that 22 rebels have been killed in an operation in one of the republic’s southern areas, Russian news agencies said.

The casualty toll is one of the largest reported by Russia from an operation in several months.

The Chechen official said four servicemen died when Russian military outposts came under fire and three others died when a truck was blown up and then fired on.

He said the three policemen died in attacks in or near Grozny, the Chechen capital, which is deeply infiltrated with rebels despite a massive Russian military presence.