Russian troops kill Chechnya Arabs

Russia says its forces in the rebel republic of Chechnya have killed more than 30 Arab mercenaries in the past two weeks.

An army spokesman said the Arabs had been operating mainly in the southern mountains of the republic where the Russians have been struggling to regain control.

He estimated that more than 200 Arab fighters were now in Chechnya.

Correspondents say Russia regularly accuses the Chechen rebels of recruiting members of what Moscow regards as Arab terrorist groups, but there's been little independent confirmation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service