31 October 2003, 11:40
Terrorist act in Urus-Martan district of Chechnya
In the afternoon on October 29, unknown suspects committed a terror attack in the Urus-Martan district of Chechnya.
A powerful explosive device planted under bridge footings between Urus-Martan and Tangy-Chu village went off at about afternoon, a source at the republican Interior Ministry told the Caucasus Times correspondent.
"The remote-controlled land mine was set off at that moment when a military URAL truck with Russian servicemen appeared on the bridge. The blast resulted in several military casualties and damage to the vehicle. The bridge was ruined," a police officer said.
According to witnesses, the explosive hurled the truck with the servicemen and totally destroyed it, killing several soldiers. Others suffered different shrapnel injuries.
"The militaries blocked the area right away," says local Akhmad, a private taxi driver. "We saw the bridge collapsed with the truck, but I can't tell accurate figures of casualties the Russians suffered. Surely, there were killed and wounded soldiers."
The military commandant's headquarters have declined to comment the terror assault on the ground they have not obtained reliable information as yet.
Source: Caucasus Times Website