Militants seize Chechen parliament

Militants seized the parliament building in Russia's Caucasus region of Chechnya today, taking hostages, a local interior ministry official told AFP.

Militants seized the parliament building in Russia's Caucasus region of Chechnya on Tuesday, taking hostages, a local interior ministry official told AFP.

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"The parliament building has been seized and hostages taken," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official said an unspecified number of guards at the parliament had been killed and an aide to the speaker had been wounded.

The RIA Novosti news agency also reported that a suicide bomber had also blown himself up on the grounds of the parliament, killing two people.