At least 16 people died in Wednesday's suicide bombing

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has formally proposed a bill to parliament offering an amnesty to separatist rebels in Chechnya.

He promised the move earlier this year after Chechens approved a new constitution recognising that their republic was "an integral and inseparable" part of the Russian Federation .

In the past three days, there have been two suicide bomb attacks in Chechnya, leaving more than 70 people dead.

The amnesty would not cover anyone guilty of murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery or other especially serious crimes, nor foreigners fighting for the rebels.

It would however apply to Russian troops as well as rebels, which has prompted criticisms that it could be used to cover up human rights abuses by federal soldiers.

Thousands of Russian troops are stationed in the republic, where they continue to conduct operations against remaining rebel fighters in mountain retreats.

Laying down arms

In a letter accompanying the bill, Mr Putin said the amnesty offer was "a humane act... aimed first of all at creating additional conditions for the establishment of peaceful life in the Chechen Republic."

He said the amnesty would apply to rebels who laid down their arms at any time during the decade ending on 1 August this year.

The Russian Minister for Nationalities Policy, Vladimir Zorin, said up to 2,000 people may be eligible.

In Wednesday's suicide bombing at least 16 people died, including two bombers, one of whom failed to detonate her explosives.

Russian officials said the attack appeared to be aimed at assassinating the head of Chechnya's pro-Moscow administration, Akhmad Kadyrov.

Mr Kadyrov was unharmed in the blast, which took place at a religious festival in the town of Iliskhan Yurt, but two of his bodyguards were injured.

On Monday suicide bombers detonated a lorry filled with explosives at the edge of a local government compound in Znamenskoye, north-east Chechnya, killing 59 people.

Policeman attacked

The Russian authorities often describe the conflict in Chechnya as part of an international war on terror, and rule out peace talks with the rebels.

They also insist the situation in the republic is stabilising, however rebel attacks on Chechen police occur on an almost daily basis.

Overnight, the commander of a Chechen riot police unit was seriously wounded when attackers fired a grenade launcher through his window.

Leadership elections are expected in Chechnya at the end of this year, under the terms of the new constitution.

The election, in its turn, is to be followed by negotiations between Chechnya and Moscow on a power-sharing agreement.

Analysts say that the wording of the amnesty is very important.

The award-winning Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, says that many rebels are weary of war, but will not take advantage of the amnesty if it forces them to recognise the legitimacy of the new constitution.

She adds that rebels who have agreed to lay down their arms so far have sometimes disappeared after raids on their homes by forces controlled by Mr Kadyrov.