Chechen Attack Kills 18 Russian Soldiers

The Russian military command threatened Thursday to retaliate for an attack by Chechen rebels that killed at least 18 servicemen and left eight more as the insurgents’ prisoners.

The military, in a statement, promised “adequate measures” and urged civilians to leave the area where the attack occurred to avoid harm in an operation against the rebels, the Interfax news agency reported.

But Russia’s top commander in Chechnya, Anatoly Shkirko, was less emphatic. He said his forces were prepared to operate against the militants’ bases - but not in the near future.

The attack occurred Tuesday at Vedeno, a rebel stronghold in the Caucasus Mountains, 28 miles southeast of the Chechen capital, Grozny. It apparently was triggered by a collision between a Russian armored vehicle and a car carrying Chechen civilians, Interfax said.