MOSCOW – At least three people were killed when a Russian securityservices helicopter crashed in Russia’s Chechnya region, RIA news agencyreported on Wednesday.

The agency had initially reported there were seven dead, but later said atleast five were killed. Russian news agencies said there were a total ofnine people on board.

Chechnya has been the scene of an Islamist insurgency, with sporadicclashes between rebels and security forces. The violence has thoughsubsided in the past few years. – Agencies