Conflicting reports are emerging on a special operation launched by Russian military forces during the last few days in Chechnya.

Radio Ekho Moskvy, quoting Chechen sources, said on Wednesday that 40 Russian servicemen died during the special operation. According to the report, 10 Chechen civilians also died in the village of Tatsan-Yurt. Russian military officials, meanwhile, deny the information. They say 21 Chechen guerrilla and 2 Russian soldiers died, while another 13 servicemen were wounded and 23 guerrilla were arrested. Both reports could not be independently confirmed. The special operation in Chechnya's Kurchaloi district is the most important offensive launched by federal forces in the republic in the last months, said the Kremlin on Monday. Russian officials say some 73 Chechen guerrilla have been killed and at least another 20 have been arrested.