| Eight Russian soldiers were killed in fighting or by explosions in Chechnya over the past day, an official in the Kremlin-backed Chechen administration said on Sunday. Four of the deaths came in rebel firing on Russian military positions, the official said on condition of anonymity. Another five soldiers were wounded and in all, separatist fighters fired on Russian positions 18 times, the official added. Two servicemen were killed and four wounded in a clash with rebels near the town of Vedeno and another clash near Gudermes , Chechnya 's second-largest city, killed one soldier and wounded three, along with four rebels, the official said. One Russian soldier was killed and three wounded when their vehicle detonated a land mine, the official said. |