Policemen die in Chechen attack

Separatist rebels are active in the south of the republic

At least seven policemen have been killed in an attack in the Russian republic of Chechnya, local officials say.

They died in the village of Ishkhoi-Yurt, near Gudermes, where they clashed with a group of 20 Chechen rebels, the officials say.

Separate reports that five Russian soldiers died in an attack on their convoy were denied by the Russian Interior Ministry.

The incident was reported to have happened on the main road between Shali and Serzhen-Yurt, Itar-Tass reported, but the interior ministry insisted no convoys had been attacked in the past 48 hours.

Chechen officials blamed separatist rebels for the attacks.

Chechen Interior Ministry officials told Itar-Tass that rebels attacked the convoy of three trucks and one armoured vehicle on Monday with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles.

The column was said to have been moving on a road in the mountainous Shali region.