Officers die in Chechen assault

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Several senior Russian army officers have been killed amid reports of heavy fighting in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

The latest reports from Russian military and Interior Ministry troops confirm the death of General Anatoly Pozdnyakov.

They also say that eight of his senior General Staff officers have also been killed.

Pozdnyakov and his staff were shot down by Chechen rebels in vicinity of Khankala, on the outskirts of the Chechen capital Grozny, while inspecting the area from a Mi-8 helicopter on Monday.

Interfax news agency said Pozdnyakov headed a commission on cooperation between the military and the Kremlin-appointed government of Chechnya.

The attack came as Chechen rebels also launched an assault on Gudermes, Chechnya's second largest city.

At least 200 Chechen rebels attacked Gudermes on Monday morning, according to various sources.

The Interfax news agency said rebels were firing at numerous offices and federal police positions in Gudermes.

Though the Russian military initially denied any fighting in the area, senior aides to President Vladimir Putin later confirmed the losses.

Chechnya administration chief Akhmad Kadyrov was quoted by Interfax as saying about 15 rebels entered the city but were blocked by Russian troops.

"Measures for (the group's) neutralisation are now being taken," Kadyrov was quoted as saying.

There have been 120 minor attacks and 10 armoured personnel carriers destroyed in the past week.

There have been concerns that actions in the southern Russian region could intensify after the attacks in the United States.

Russia regards the separatists in mainly Muslim Chechnya as terrorists. They say they are fighting for an independent homeland.

Russian troops regularly come under fire by small groups of rebels.

Russian forces withdrew from Chechnya after a 1994-96 war, but returned there in 1999 and have since occupied most Chechen territory.