Russian Helicopter Shot Down During Fighting with Chechen Rebels

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 26, 2002

Russian Helicopter Shot Down During Fighting with Chechen Rebels

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A Russian military helicopter was shot down early Thursday in Russia's republic of Ingushetia bordering Chechnya, killing the two crew members on board, Russian news agencies quoted military sources as saying.

A source in the North Caucasus military headquarters told Interfax that the helicopter was shot down about 08:00 Moscow time(0400 GMT) by a portable anti-aircraft missile launcher near the village of Galashki in Ingushetia, during fighting between a some 100 Chechen militants and Russian troops. The helicopter crashed onto a village, killing the crew members, the agency said.

Interfax said the rebels also fired upon another helicopter but failed to damage it.

Itar-tass said the deputy commander of the Russian troops in the North Caucasus had confirmed that heavy fighting around Galashki lasted for some nine hours.

According to preliminary information, eight Russian soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded, while about 32 rebels were killed, Itar-tass reported.

Interfax and Itar-tass both said the Chechen unit was under the control of Ruslan Gelayev, a well-known Chechen warlord who the Russian military said is based in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge.

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