Chechnya: Ramzan Kadyrov Gives Order To Shoot Kill Russian forces

Moscow (AFP) - Chechen leader on Thursday ordered his troops to "shoot to kill" if they encountered any unauthorised Russian forces on the territory of the small republic in the volatile North Caucasus region.

Russia's interior ministry called the remarks "unacceptable", while a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin declined to respond directly to the Chechen leader's remarks.

"We have seen it. We have heard it. We have read it. I will not be making any comment," spokesman Dmitri Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti agency.

Kadyrov, 38, has ruled Chechnya with an iron fist since being installed by Putin in 2007, and has helped the Kremlin battle an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus.

But the former rebel -- accused by human rights groups of overseeing torture, extrajudicial executions and corruption -- has shown an increased readiness in recent months to challenge Putin's authority.

In one notable run-in in December, Putin criticised Kadyrov for saying that families of Islamist insurgents would be punished for a deadly rebel attack on the Chechen capital Grozny.

Putin at the time said Kadyrov had no right to make such declarations and said "everyone in Russia must observe the laws".