By Xinhua
Moscow : Four police officers and three guerrillas were killed in two separate shootouts in the Russian republic of Chechnya, media reports said Monday.
Three policemen and three gunmen were shot dead in a gun battle in Khatuni village of southeastern Chechnya's Vedeno region, Itar-Tass said, quoting the Chechnya interior ministry spokesperson. Four police officers were also wounded.
The slain militants were suspected to be members of Supyan Abdulayev's group.
In a separate clash in southern Shali district, a police officer was shot dead during a special operation to detain a wanted 30-year-old resident in a forest village, Itar-Tass said.
The past 12 years have seen Russian forces fighting two wars to quell the violent separatist rebellions in Chechnya. An estimated 100,000 of Chechnya's 1 million people and some 10,000 Russian servicemen have been killed in the conflict, according to official figures.