Four Russian servicemen were shot dead on Wednesday as they drove near the border between Ingushetia and North Ossetia, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Interior Ministry, according to Reuters. The four servicemen -- including a female lieutenant -- were killed when unknown assailants opened fire with automatic weapons, Itar-Tass news agency said. A seriously wounded serviceman was taken to hospital in Nazran, the regional capital of Ingushetia, which borders the rebel republic of Chechnya. Gun battles and explosions are common in the North Caucasus, where the decade-long battle between Chechen separatists and Russian troops has spilled over into neighbouring areas, such as North Ossetia, Dagestan and Ingushetia. Rebels, often acting on a host of local and religious grievances, have increasingly taken up arms against Russian forces in the region.
