Six Russian servicemen were killed and at least 10 others injured on Tuesday when gunmen attacked a military convoy in Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported.

"A military convoy was ambushed in the Shali district in the afternoon. Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the servicemen. Six people died. At least 10 other servicemen sustained wounds of varying degrees," Chechen Prosecutor Valery Kuznetsov was quoted as saying.

The Defense Ministry has confirmed the death of the six servicemen in the attack.

An operation was launched to hunt down the attackers, Kuznetsov said, adding it is too early to tell what group was behind the attack.

Russian government forces have been fighting separatist rebels over the past decade in Chechnya, a Caucasus region in southern Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2006)