23:00, 31 January 2005

9 killed in car explosions

Officers of the Chechen presidential security service, not Russian soldiers were killed when cars were blown up near the village of Alkhan-Kala, Chechnya's Urus-Martan district, the Caucasian Knot correspondent was told at the republican interior ministry. According to the source, the explosions on the Kavkaz federal route claimed lives of 9 Kadyrov's people. Several people received injuries. Reports that the people died in a traffic accident or that federal soldiers died in the explosions do not represent the facts, the man added.

Meanwhile, Chechen separatists have claimed responsibility for blowing up the column of cars near Alkhan-Yurt on January 28. The separatist website Kavkaz Center reported that the explosion was set off by a suicide terrorist, who run into the column destroying three cars. Separatist sources say that 10 officers of the presidential security service and local administration officials died in the terror attack. The Chechen interior ministry reported earlier that there was an automobile accident on the Rostov-Baku road, in which three cars collided.

Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent