Moscow, July 06: Four Russian soldiers were killed and at least 11 injured in a helicopter crash in separatist Chechnya today, said a news agency report. "The helicopter suffered a catastrophe a few seconds after liftoff," the news agency quoted Air Force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky as saying. Drobyshevsky said officials were not yet sure what caused the crash outside the breakaway republic's second largest city Gudermes, but did not rule out that it was shot down by a rebel missile.
Russian federal helicopters have regularly been the target of guerrilla attacks since war between federal troops and separatist rebels broke out in October 1999. News of the crash came one day after suspected Chechen rebels carried out a major suicide attack in the Russian capital, killing at least 16 people at an open air rock concert. Bureau Report