Moscow: At least 50 people, including an acting Interior Minister and 18 security personnel, were killed as well as scores injured in a series of attacks carried out by about 200 heavily-armed Chechen rebels on Government installations in Russia's Ingushetia province, bordering Chechnya.

The rebels targeted the Interior Ministry, Federal Border Service headquarters, Interior Ministry Arms depot in capital Magas and cities of Nazran, Karabulak and Sleptovskaya and took over the control of strategic roads in the raids last night (Jun 21, 2004), media reports said.

Acting Interior Minister of this Russian region Abukar Kostoyev, Prosecutors of Nazran city and Nazran district Mukhurbek Buzurtanov and Belan Oziyev and regional post master were killed in the heavy fighting with the rebels till dawn.

"Among the casualties are 18 policemen and 28 civilians," reports quoted the Ingush Interior Ministry's spokesman Yakhya Khadziyev as saying.

About 50 people were injured in the attacks, reports said.

Russian authorities sent in reinforcements shortly after dawn. Inside the city, firefighters fought blazes at the Interior Ministry and its weapons storehouse, reports said.

As thousands of Russian anti-terrorist special forces officers and services streamed into Nazran, most of the fighters had retreated, reports said adding Russian military was engaged in a massive search operation aimed at cutting off their exit.