Civilian death toll tops 24,000

Moscow (Reuter) - Russian forces launched large-scale attacks on Chechen separatist fighters yesterday, ending a lull in the 10-week conflict which a human rights body said had killed more than 24,000 civilians.

A report by experts working for the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, Sergei Kovalyov, said the rate of civilian deaths was comparable only to Poland in the Second World War.

Aircraft bombed Chechen units at Gudermes, Argun and Samashki and Russian forces also struck at Chechen positions in the Promyslovsky district on Grozny's north-western edge yesterday, Itar-Tass news agency said.

The estimate of civilian deaths by Mr Kovalyov's office was likely to increase Western unease. The report gave a breakdown for civilian deaths in the two months up to 25 January. They comprised 3,700 children below the age of 15; 4,650 women over 15; 2,650 men over the age of 50 and 13,350 unarmed men between 15 and 50. The dead also included 650 armed men - apparently separatist fighters.