Grozny Clashes 'Leave Up to 10 Dead'

Up to ten police officers could have been killed in a shootout following a special operation against militants in the Chechen capital Grozny, media reports suggest.

The toll varies between four and ten police officers. Interfax agency says the clashes claimed ten lives, while ITAR-TASS cited health ministry officials who put the number of four.

In the early hours of Wednesday, militants killed traffic police inspectors who tried to stop their cars.

The gunmen later stormed a building housing a media outlet which was soon surrounded by security officers.

An unknown number of people had been wounded, with health ministry officials warning three of them are in a critical condition.

However, no civilians have been injured.

Russia's republic of Chechnya has been relatively stable under Ramzan Kadyrov, who took over the Presidency in 2007, but there have been a few episodes of violence.

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