Soldiers and civilians die in Chechnya fighting

Reports from Chechnya say three Russian servicemen were killed in continuing fighting near the capital, Grozny.

An official said two soldiers were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine.

Another died when Chechen rebels fired on the military commandant's building.

The official said 12 Russian servicemen had been killed so far in five days of fighting with rebels in the village of Tsotsin-Yurt, south-east of Grozny.

The Russian Federal Security Service, is quoted as saying more than 30 rebels were killed in the operation.

The accounts cannot be independently verified.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service