Chechnya Land Mine Kills 9 Russian Troops
Nine Russian soldiers were killed when a land mine exploded near a column of military trucks in breakaway Chechnya, Russian news agencies said.
A military officer at army headquarters in the republic was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying two other soldiers were injured in the blast, which hit the convoy Thursday near the regional capital, Grozny.
Russia sent troops back into the rebel region in 1999 to end three years of de facto independence by Chechens and says it has established nominal control over the territory. But there is a daily loss of life among Russian soldiers from rebel raids.
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