GROZNY, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - A female suicide bomber injured six people including two police officers in the south Russian republic of Chechnya on Wednesday, local health officials said.

The woman set off an explosive vest near a police vehicle on duty at a busy crossroads in central Grozny. The injured were hospitalized.

An unidentified police official earlier cited preliminary reports as saying that some people were killed.

The predominantly Muslim republic has seen a surge of violence in recent months, with attacks on security forces and authorities a regular occurrence.

The Kremlin officially ended its anti-terrorism operation in Chechnya in April. The republic saw two brutal separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s.