2 policemen abducted in Chechnya over 24 hours

Over the past 24 hours, separatists in Chechnya abducted two policemen, the Regional Operational Headquarters for coordinating the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus reported on Tuesday. According to a source in the headquarters, the first of two policemen, a private by the name Zakayev, was kidnapped by a gang of armed militants who broke into his house and drove off in an unknown direction. The incident took place on Monday morning in the district center Urus-Martan.

On the same morning in the district center Shali, a group of assailants clad in camouflage uniform broke into the house of private Edisultanov, beat him and forced into their car, taking his service weapons -- a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a Makarov pistol.

According to RIA Novosti's source, both policemen were locals working for the extradepartmental security service of the Interior Office for the Chechen Republic. Law enforcers have launched an investigation and are trying to track down the kidnappers.