A little-known businessman became the first person to declare his intention to run for president of Chechnya, officials said Monday, in an Oct. 5 election the Kremlin hopes will help end the nearly four-year conflict in the breakaway republic. Rebels continued their hit-and-run attacks in Chechnya, killing 10 Russian servicemen over the past 24 hours, an official in Kadyrov\'s administration said on condition of anonymity. Three pro-Moscow Chechen policemen were killed when their car hit a land mine. Said-Khamzat Gairbekov informed Chechnya\'s election commission that he intends to run, said Bulaisari Arsakhanov, the commission\'s deputy chairman, according to the Interfax news agency. He must collect signatures from 20,000 people — 2 percent of Chechnya\'s voters — to get his name on the ballot. Gairbekov, 60, has lived for several decades in Russia\'s southern Astrakhan region, where he is the deputy director of a construction company, Interfax said. Chechnya\'s Kremlin-appointed acting president, Akhmad Kadyrov, is widely believed to be running, though he has not officially declared his candidacy. Russian officials are pushing elections as part of their peace plan. The first step was a March referendum in which Chechen voters approved a new constitution, cementing the region\'s status as part of Russia. Then, last month, the Russian parliament passed an amnesty for rebels not accused of serious crimes. (AP)