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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Explosion in Chechnya 'kills 13' |
| 2005-07-19 |
| At least 13 people have been killed and several injured in an explosion in Chechnya, reports from Russia say. Officials said a police car was blown up in Znamenskoye, about 60km (37 miles) north of the capital, Grozny, after an exchange of gun fire. Chechen President Alu Alkhanov has blamed the attack on separatist rebels led by Shamil Basayev, Russian news agency Itar-Tass reports. The region around Znamenskoye is under the control of Russian forces. In 2003 a truck bomb outside a government compound in Znamenskoye killed at least 60 people and injured many more. Security forces in the town are hunting for those responsible for the explosion at about 1330 (0930 GMT) on Tuesday, Itar-Tass says. The agency quotes Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, speaking in Znamenskoye, as saying 13 people died in the blast and about were 20 wounded. Police officers and local residents are said to be among those killed. A child who was cycling past when the vehicle exploded also died, the AP news agency quoted Russian officials as saying. Correspondents say that although Russian forces control most of Chechnya, isolated rebel attacks have continued and even spread to neighbouring regions. Russia's President Vladimir Putin last week visited the southern Russian region of Dagestan, where he urged ministers and commanders to take action to halt violence. At least 10 people were killed in a bomb attack on a truck carrying security forces near the Dagestani capital, Makhachkala, earlier this month. |
| Posted by:Steve |