KHANKALA, July 10 (AVN) - A 950g-TNT explosive device went off at the central marketplace of the Ingush capital Vladikavkaz on Sunday, a spokesman for the unified federal headquarters told the Military News Agency.
Two people were killed instantly, four more died later in hospital. Several dozens were injured. All of the killed and injured were civilians.
According to the spokesman, the responsibility for this outrageous act of terrorism is put on the Chechen separatist leaders. Intelligence data claims a couple of weeks ago Shamil Basayev and Khattab sent several pentads to Chechnya's adjacent regions.
Colonel-General Gennady Troshev, commander of the unified federal group, has put on red alert all of the Chechnya units located along the administrative borders with Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia and other regions.
On the whole in the course of last week's special operation, the federals captured some 200 suspected militants and criminals. The curfew is still on in the republic. Automobile traffic is restricted through the localities of Grozny, Gudermes, Urus-Martan and Argun. The outposts are checking everyone entering or exiting these localities.
Commenting on the situation in Dagestan and Ingushetia, Troshev said that while the Dagestani authorities were checking all of the information concerning supposed rebel breakthroughs to the territory of the republic and were immediately taking all the necessary precautions, the Ingush authorities either completely ignored such data or did not pay the attention due.
For instance, recently the federals have informed the Ingush law enforcement that Chechen guerrillas were getting treatment in the republic's hospitals. The checks conducted by the Ingush police were to no avail. At the same time the federal checks conducted later exposed 17 Chechen guerrillas in Ingush hospitals.