Chechen rebels killed seven Russian police in an attack near the mountainous south of the region, according to reports.
News agencies quoted the regional interior ministry as saying the rebels were armed with a grenade launcher and hit a police vehicle near the village of Kurchaloi.
Attacks by separatist rebels are daily events in Chechnya, but it is rare for Russian officials to acknowledge their losses so quickly.
Mainly Muslim Chechnya has been devastated by war, which has dragged on for more than a decade.
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Russia says it is stabilising the region but still maintains close to 100,000 troops in Chechnya.