Rebels Kill 8 Russian Soldiers, Wound 20 in Dagestan Fighting

Eight Russian soldiers were killed and 20 wounded Wednesday as Russian forces battled Islamic militants for control of a rebel-occupied village in the southern republic of Dagestan.

It was the Russian forces’ heaviest one-day death toll yet in the 12-day conflict in the Caucasus Mountains.

The village, called Tando, was one of the first settlements the rebels occupied when they invaded several Dagestani towns Aug. 7 in their quest to create an independent Islamic state.

They moved in from Chechnya, a rebellious territory that has been in effect independent since Russian forces pulled out in 1996 following a costly two-year war. The conflict in Dagestan is the worst inside Russia since the war in Chechnya ended.

It was not clear who controlled Tando after Wednesday’s fighting.

The village had been bombed by Russian planes and helicopters for several days.

The Tando ground battle suggested that Russia was stepping up its campaign against the rebels. Reluctant to take heavy losses, Moscow had relied previously on its dominant air power.

Russian forces said they also seized the Kharami mountain pass, a key rebel supply line.

The latest fighting came during a visit to Dagestan by Russian Defense Minister Igor D. Sergeyev, who promised that the rebels would be dislodged soon.

Russian officials have repeatedly promised the rebels’ imminent defeat, but militants still control at least three villages near the border with Chechnya.