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| Monday, 2 September 2002 |
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Russian helicopter downed in Chechnya MOSCOW, Sunday (AFP) A Russian Mi-24 military helicopter was shot down by a missile in the breakaway republic of Chechnya Saturday, killing the two pilots, the ITAR-TASS news agency said, less than two weeks after the deadliest attack in the Chechen war left 118 dead. The attack was immediately claimed by separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, his press office said. On August 19, an Mi-26 helicopter was shot down near Grozny by a missile fired by rebels, according to an official investigation. A total of 118 people were killed, the worst such incident in three years of fighting against Chechen separatists. "The presidential guard shot down a helicopter near the village of Beshil-Irzu, in the region of Nozhay-Yurt, about 100 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of Grozny," a spokesman for Maskhadov told AFP. The Russian defense ministry confirmed that a helicopter had been "shot down" at 1145 GMT, but gave no further details, the Interfax news agency reported. Military officials quoted by ITAR-TASS said two Mi-24 combat helicopters were escorting an Mi-8 transport helicopter that was bringing provisions to Russian troops stationed in the mountains. The pilot of the first Mi-24 noticed the absence of the second chopper. After a search, he discovered the wreckage on the ground and radioed a team of rescuers, who arrived on the scene in an Mi-8. |
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