A ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti said that unknown assailants had opened fire on ministry troops who were in a Lada car on the Caucasus highway near Ingushetia's largest city, Nazran. Two soldiers were killed and one was wounded in the attack.
In a separate incident, a motorized column of military servicemen was involved in a road accident near Nazran. When soldiers left their vehicles, militants opened fire on them. Two soldiers suffered minor injuries in the attack and were hospitalized, the spokesman said.
Although the active phase of all-out counter-terrorist operations in Chechnya ended years ago, sporadic clashes with small militant groups and attacks on police and officials in Chechnya and neighboring republics are not uncommon. Ingushetia has seen a sharp increase in attacks on law enforcement and military personnel during the first eight months of 2008.
