The Chechen president's spokesman has confirmed that the correspondent for the Russian news agency Itar-Tass in Chechnya, Said Isayev, is missing.

The spokesman, Mairbek Vachagayev, said two journalists found Mr Isayev's house empty and said his computer was missing.

He said nobody witnessed an abduction of Mr Isayev.

Earlier, the Chechen Security Minister said unidentified armed men broke into the house of Mr Isayev late on Sunday and drove him away. There have been numerous kidnappings of Russians and foreigners in Chechnya since the end of its secessionist war with Russia in 1996.