At least 20 people were killed and dozens of others injured on Wednesday in a new suicide bomb attack in Russia's Chechnya Republic, Itar-Tass news agency said.

The latest suicide attack was apparently conducted by a female suicide bomber, just two days after 59 people were killed on Monday when suicide bombers drove a truck loaded with explosives into a complex in northern Chechnya, Itar-Tass said.

Earlier in the day, the Interfax news agency quoted Chechen administration officials as saying that at least 10 people were killed in the attack, which took place in Iliskhan-Yurt, a village some 45 km east of Chechen capital Grozny, at around 3 p.m. local time (1100 GMT).

Russian authority has pledged to find out the organizers of Monday's attack.

Russian and Chechen officials blamed Chechen rebels for the bombing, which the White House condemned it as a terrorist act.

Akhmad Kadyrov, head of the Moscow-backed Chechen administration, said the attack appeared to be the work of separatist rebels, Russian media reported.

However, rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov has denied responsibility for the attack.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2003)