17 Russians Die in Chechen Military Helicopter Crash
Russian officials say there were no survivors after a troop-carrying helicopter was shot down in the deadliest single attack for over a year by Chechen insurgents.
At least 17 people were killed when their troop-carrying helicopter was shot down in the volatile province of Chechnya, Russian officials said today.
The incident appeared to be the deadliest single attack for over a year by Chechen insurgents.
A spokesman for the Russian military prosecutor's office told Reuters: "According to our information, a helicopter came down as a result of which all those on board were killed, that was four crew and 13 troops."
Russian news agencies, quoting military sources, said 18 people on board the helicopter had died. They said the Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by Chechen rebels. The military has made no official comment on the cause of the crash.
The helicopter was one of three carrying troops to take part in an operation against insurgents near the town of Shatoi, in southern Chechnya, the RIA news agency quoted a source in the Russian regional military headquarters as saying.
The agency also said there was a gunfight at the crash site between insurgents and Russian forces. The Interfax news agency quoted a source in Chechnya's pro-Moscow security forces as saying a senior insurgency leader could be among the rebels now fighting Russian troops at Shatoi.
The air force confirmed the helicopter had come down but said nothing about the cause.
Russia has been fighting in Chechnya since 1994, when the then president, Boris Yeltsin, who died this week, sent in troops to crush a separatist rebellion. In the biggest loss of life sustained by Russian and pro-Moscow forces last year, seven troops were killed during an operation near Shatoi.
When he became president seven years ago, Vladimir Putin vowed to quash the rebellion. Moscow's forces, working with local allies, have killed the main separatist leaders and driven the remaining rebels into mountain hideouts. Dozens of insurgents gave themselves up under an amnesty late last year.
Major offensives and large-scale fighting are now rare, but insurgents continue to stage small hit-and-run ambushes with booby traps and remote-detonated explosives.
The incident appeared to be the deadliest single attack for over a year by Chechen insurgents.
A spokesman for the Russian military prosecutor's office told Reuters: "According to our information, a helicopter came down as a result of which all those on board were killed, that was four crew and 13 troops."
Russian news agencies, quoting military sources, said 18 people on board the helicopter had died. They said the Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by Chechen rebels. The military has made no official comment on the cause of the crash.
The helicopter was one of three carrying troops to take part in an operation against insurgents near the town of Shatoi, in southern Chechnya, the RIA news agency quoted a source in the Russian regional military headquarters as saying.
The agency also said there was a gunfight at the crash site between insurgents and Russian forces. The Interfax news agency quoted a source in Chechnya's pro-Moscow security forces as saying a senior insurgency leader could be among the rebels now fighting Russian troops at Shatoi.
The air force confirmed the helicopter had come down but said nothing about the cause.
Russia has been fighting in Chechnya since 1994, when the then president, Boris Yeltsin, who died this week, sent in troops to crush a separatist rebellion. In the biggest loss of life sustained by Russian and pro-Moscow forces last year, seven troops were killed during an operation near Shatoi.
When he became president seven years ago, Vladimir Putin vowed to quash the rebellion. Moscow's forces, working with local allies, have killed the main separatist leaders and driven the remaining rebels into mountain hideouts. Dozens of insurgents gave themselves up under an amnesty late last year.
Major offensives and large-scale fighting are now rare, but insurgents continue to stage small hit-and-run ambushes with booby traps and remote-detonated explosives.
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