MOSCOW, June 23: The death toll from a major assault by guerillas in southern Russia's Ingushetia region has risen to 92, the regional government said on Wednesday.

Interfax quoted Ingushetia's deputy prime minister, Bashyr Aushev, as saying 92 people had been killed and more than 60 wounded in Tuesday's raids. Earlier reports had put the toll at 57.

"These figures are not final and it is possible that the information about the number of dead may change upwards," Interfax quoted Aushev as saying. Russian newspapers said on Wednesday the attack in Ingushetia was a personal humiliation for President Putin and his policy in the troubled region.

"The rebel attack has shown the failure of Vladimir Putin's policy not only in Chechnya but in the entire North Caucasus," the liberal daily Kommersant said. For the Russian president, "it is a personal defeat" the newspaper said.

The pro-Kremlin Vremya Novostei daily joined in the criticism, labelling the assault as "a major defeat from the political viewpoint for the security forces and government". The guerrillas had succeeded in "storming one of the regional capitals and destroying the symbols of power and law enforcement buildings", it added. -Reuters/AFP