Six die after insurgents attack Russia's Chechen parliament

Six die after insurgents attack Russia's Chechen parliament

2010-10-19 16:42:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

GROZNY, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Six people were killed and scores of others were killed on early Tuesday morning when insurgents attacked the parliament building of Russia's Chechnya, officials said.

The attack began around 8.45 a.m. local time when a vehicle carrying three insurgents drove into several vehicles carrying Chechen lawmakers. One of the insurgents blew himself up while the other two headed toward parliament and went onto a shooting rampage.

According to the Kremlin, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev, and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov briefed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the attack.

"This morning, a group of militants launched an attempt to penetrate the building of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic," a Kremlin spokesperson said. "Staff of the Chechen law enforcement agencies engaged the enemy."

The Kremlin said all three attackers had been killed. Additionally, two policemen and one member of parliament were also killed. Seventeen others were injured.

The identity of the member of parliament was not immediately released.

Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics, especially Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have seen an upsurge of militant violence lately, with frequent attacks on police and officials.

Tuesday's attack, however, was one of the most serious terrorist attacks in Chechnya this year.

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