Moscow: Chechen separatist fighters downed a Russian helicopter near Grozny, an official with the Russian forces in Chechnya said, as quoted by Interfax.

Four people died in the crash, Interfax quoted an official at interior ministry forces headquarters as saying.

The interior ministry MI-8 helicopter was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile near the headquarters of the Russian forces headquarters in Chechnya, just East of the capital Grozny.

The incident occurred three days after the dramatic end of a hostage-taking carried out by Chechen separatist commandos in a Moscow theatre, which left 117 captives dead.

Fifty hostage-takers were also killed. Chechen rebels in August 2001 shot down a Russian MI-26 military helicopter near the Russian headquarters in Chechnya. 121 people died in the crash.