Weekend of violence in Chechnya

VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia -- Six Russian servicemen have been killed and 15 wounded in a weekend of clashes in Chechnya.

Three were killed and four were wounded in nine separate attacks in 24 hours on Russian positions and checkpoints, the official in the Moscow-appointed Chechen administration said.

Two other Russian soldiers were killed and nine were wounded on Saturday when their armored personnel carrier detonated a land mine in the capital Grozny.

The vehicle then came under attack from rebel fire, the official said.

Russian officials insist they have the republic almost under control, but militants continue to inflict daily casualties in hit-and-run attacks on the Russian army and with land mines.

Elsewhere, Russian troops detained more than 50 suspected rebels and their accomplices, the official said.

Russian troops retreated from Chechnya after a 1994-1996 war.

Russian forces returned in 1999 after rebel incursions into neighboring Dagestan and apartment-house bombings in Russian cities blamed on Chechen rebels that killed more than 300 people.