One killed by suicide bomber in southern Russia, five wounded

September 13, 2009

A suicide bomber killed at least one person and injured five at a police checkpoint in southern Russia on Friday, national news agencies reported.

The explosion occurred in Nazran, the main city in the region of Ingushetia. Spokesman Kaloi Akhiltov said to the Associated Press news agency that a van packed with explosive material drove into the traffic checkpoint. The checkpoint post was completely destroyed, he said.

According to government-controlled RIA news agency, the single casualty from the blast was a civilian.

The attack has been blamed by regional authorities on Islamist separatist rebels.

The Caucasus region of Russia has seen an increase in attacks recently, following a few years of relative calm after two wars with separatists in the neigbouring region of Chechnya.