Chechen Gunmen Kidnap TV Crew

Masked Chechen gunmen seized a prominent Russian TV journalist and two of her crew, a Russian news agency reported Sunday, bringing to seven the number of journalists held by kidnappers in the breakaway republic.

Two cars blocked a sedan carrying NTV special correspondent Yelena Masyuk and her two crew members near the western Chechen village of Samashki on Saturday afternoon.

The unidentified gunmen then drove away with their captives, abandoning the sedan and its Chechen driver, the ITAR-Tass news agency said quoting Chechen officials.