MOSCOW. May 21 (Interfax) - The Russian Investigative Committee has confirmed the death of two policemen as a result of an attack on a church in Chechnya; a criminal case on an infringement on the life of law enforcement officers was initiated.
"The Russian Investigative Committee's investigative bodies for the Chechen Republic have initiated a criminal case following an attack on parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel's Church in the Grozny city. The criminal case was opened on the count of an infringement on the life of a law enforcement officer," the Investigative Committee said.
According to preliminary information obtained by investigators, two policemen, who had guarded the church, were killed and two more injured as a result of the attack.
A civilian was also killed, he is currently being identified.
"Four militants were eliminated. Knives and plain-barreled gun were found on them," the Investigative Committee said.
All circumstances of the tragedy will be established during the investigation, the incident will receive principled legal assessment, it said.
"Initial investigative measures and testimony of witnesses suggest that professional efforts of policemen, who had guarded the church, helped to prevent graver consequences and avoid a greater number of victims," the Investigative Committee said.
Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov told Interfax earlier on Saturday that four militants, who attempted to take parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel's Church hostage, were eliminated in Grozny. "Militants broke into St. Michael the Archangel's Church, their objective was to take parishioners hostage. All four militants were eliminated as a result of an immediately conducted special operation," Kadyrov said.
A representative of law enforcement agencies told Interfax later that two policemen, who had been seconded to Chechnya from the Saratov region, were killed in militants' attack on St. Michael the Archangel's Church in downtown Grozny and a special operation to eliminate them. "According to latest information, two policemen were killed and two more injured," the representative said.
The representative also said that there was another victim, which the church's father superior did not recognize as a parishioner. He thus could have been the fifth militant. "The father superior of the St. Michael the Archangel's Church did not identify one of the deceased persons as a parishioner, this man may have been a militant as well," the representative said.
In addition, a parishioner was injured, the representative said.
"The criminals were armed with ten bottle bombs and a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun, which they used to open fire," the representative of law enforcement agencies said. The militants also had guns, knives and small axes.
The criminals' identification is currently underway. "The theory that the militants may have received an order to attack the church from one of the Western counties is being thoroughly looked into," the representative said.
The environment surrounding St. Michael the Archangel's Church is normalizing at the moment, in particular, road traffic has resumed.