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Bodies of 27 Russian commandos found in Chechnya

MOSCOW: The bodies of at least 27 Russian police commandos caught in an ambush in Chechnya this week have been found at the mountainous site of the attack in the rebel region, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday.

Interfax news agency quoted military sources in the region as saying 32 officers had been found dead near the village of Zhani-Vedeno, south of the capital Grozny, and 19 had already been taken away for identification. One wounded man was found.

Itar-Tass news agency, quoting officials in the Urals region of Perm, the unit's home base, said that 27 bodies had been found.

Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo and top officers flew to the region on Friday to investigate Wednesday's ambush in which four commandos were initially reported dead and 39 missing. Reports from the region suggested their convoy of vehicles had received insufficient protection.

The Russian military has for weeks said it had destroyed the militants' last remaining bases in its six-month-old operation against Chechen militants. But Russia troops have suffered heavy losses in recent weeks in ambushes and in fighting against pockets of separatist resistance.-Reuters