Twelve people, including six Russian servicemen, died in Chechnya when rebels blew up a booby-trapped car near a passing military convoy and opened fire on the survivors, Interfaxnews agency said today.
The attack yesterday was a fresh setback for the Russian authorities trying to portray life in the region as slowly returning to normal.
At least two more Russians died in attacks in other parts of Chechnya, Interfaxreported.
The agency quoted the military in Chechnya as saying the car packed with explosives was parked near an outdoor market in the village of Oktyabrskoye, southeast of the capital Grozny.
It said rebels detonated the bomb when two military trucks and an armoured personnel carrier approached the booby-trapped car. The rebels reportedly opened fire on the vehicles after the blast.
Interfaxsaid six Russian servicemen and six Chechen civilians had died in the attack. Two more policemen and four other Chechens were injured, it said.
