Moscow: A Russian soldier and a policeman were killed today in a clash with militant fighters in the restive southern republic of Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported.

The shoot-out took place at around midnight in the town of Argun around 20 kilometres, west of the Chechen capital Grozny, a spokesman for the investigative committee of local prosecutors told the agency.

He said that two police and four soldiers were also wounded in the clash while investigators were trying to identify a militant who was killed in the shooting.

"The house where the militants were holed up caught fire during the clash. Measures were taken to put out the fire but it burned down," the official said.
Chechen separatists fought two wars against Russia in the 1990s but a pro-Kremlin local government now rules the republic.

Sustained fighting ended years ago, but isolated attacks on Russian federal troops and police still occur frequently in Chechnya and several other neighbouring areas in Russia's volatile north Caucasus region.
Source : PTI