16:18, 13 January 2004

Chechen Interior Ministry: shelling of government building in Chechnya can be result of inattentive handling of weapons

The shelling of the Chechen Emergency Situations Ministry building in Grozny can be result of inattentive handling of weapons, reported head of the information department of the republican Interior Ministry Ruslan Atsayev.

"An operative-investigative group is working at the scene of the incident. The main version is negligence when handling weapons. The territory is highly protected, therefore the version concerning the terrorist attack is of small possibility," Mr. Atsayev said. The investigation considers all versions of the incident, the Chechen Prosecutor's Office announced.

Government buildings were shelled on Monday morning. This was disclosed by the Chechen president's press-service. "Today, at 10:45 a.m., unknown persons fired twice from an under-barrel grenade launcher in the direction of government buildings," a source at the press-service said.

According to him, the explosions occurred on the territory of the Chechen Emergency Situations Ministry. Two workers of the ministry were injured. They were hospitalized.

Editors note: See also the article "Militants fired at government buildings in Grozny".

Source: RIA Novosti