Twin explosions in Kizlyar partially destroy buildings located near the place of incident

Under the information available so far, the terror act committed by terrorists-suicide-bombers in Kizlyar killed 12 persons, more than 20 were hospitalized with various traumas; in total, 23 were injured, but this is non-confirmed data. Houses located near the place of explosion lost their windows; some of them are partially ruined. The FSB has stated that the suicide bomber's target in Kizlyar was the local Interior Division.

Let us remind you that today in the morning the Dagestan city of Kizlyar saw a twin terror act. The first explosion was triggered along the route of militia patrol, and the second one - 20 minutes later - was aimed at the militiamen and medical people who arrived to the place of the first incident. It is already known that both explosions were made by suicide-bombers. One of them was the driver of the parked car, and the second one dressed as militiaman blew himself up near the doctors and militiamen who had arrived to the place of the first explosion. The terror act killed Colonel Vitaly Vedernikov, head of the Kizlyar GOVD (City Interior Department), and, under preliminary data, five militiamen. Other casualties are civilians.

Evidences of eyewitnesses

The roof of the school is destroyed; its windows are broken. "I was in a class when the explosion was triggered," a teacher of School No. 1 of Kizlyar told Oleg Ionov, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "All the windows of the classroom got out. Fortunately, we have vacations now, and there were no children at school. Otherwise, the consequences would have been awful."

According to townspeople, the explosion damaged many buildings and caused panic in the city. "I was walking along the street when I heard a strong explosion," says Marina, a local resident. "I was thrown to the wall of a house. When I regained consciousness, I saw an awful picture - cars were on fire, and casualties and victims were right on the road."

Now, President of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov is in Kizlyar. An extraordinary sitting of the Security Council of Dagestan is appointed on 3 p.m.

Inspector Shakh Shamkhalov from the Kizlyar GOVD told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Ahmed Magomedov that the tragedy took place at about 8:45 a.m. "I was just approaching the militia building, when the first explosion was triggered. I was just thrown off my feet by the blast wave. I stood up and ran to the place of the explosion, which was already cordoned by militiamen. There, my colleagues told me the details of the tragedy," said Mr Shamkhalov.

According to his story, a 4-door "Niva" car was blocked by three cars belonging to three employees of the city road-patrol service.

"Probably, the militiamen wanted to check the driver. The "Niva" was stopped close to the Children's School of Arts No. 1. There is a version that the criminal wanted to blow himself up near the buildings of the Departments of the Russian MIA and FSB for Dagestan. Several minutes after the blocking, the first powerful explosion was triggered. It was so strong that practically nothing remained from the suicide-bomber and his car. A crater 2 meters deep and 4 meters in radius formed in the place of the explosion. All the three road policemen died," said Shamkhalov.

He said that the second explosion happened, when new militia units, headed by Vitaly Vedernikov, head of the Kizlyar GOVD, medical people, employees of the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) of Dagestan and gapers arrived to the place of the first explosion.

"Already later I was told that a young man in the uniform of the militia lieutenant squeezed into the centre of the crowd and triggered his bomb, which killed eight more militiamen, including Vedernikov," said the inspector and added that the suicide bomber was torn into pieces, but his head and shoulders remained relatively integral, which will make no problems for identification. According to his story, it was seen that the militia jacket was hastily put over sporting uniform.

The source of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was slightly hurt. He also said that the number of injured persons is in dozens, most of them are militiamen.

Gazimagomed Ismailov, a resident of Kizlyar and a specialist of the legal department of Russia's Treasury for Dagestan, has noted that the situation in the city is tense. "All the people were discussing the details of the tragedy, when another powerful explosion was triggered. Law enforcers comment nothing, while rumours are actively circulating over the city that another terrorist explosion was committed in Tarumovka village. Townspeople are naturally horrified in expectation of new terror acts," said Mr Ismailov.

A housewife Pasikhat Kadieva said that she had asked all the members of her family to get back home. "It's terrible what happens; we don't know what to do. It's somewhat calmer at home, when everybody is under your eyes," said the woman. Another source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that one of the suicide bombers was a nephew of a high-ranking employee of the Dagestan MIA; however, he refused to give names.

FSB: suicide-bomber planned attack on GOVD building

Employees of the FSB have confirmed that the terrorist-suicide-bomber planned to attack, in his mined "Niva" car, the building of the Kizlyar GOVD (City Interior Department). The press service of the FSB for Dagestan told the ITAR-TASS that "such assumptions were made after examining the remnants of the car, onto which body militia signs were attached with paint." According to the source, the power of the explosive planted into the "Niva" made up to 200 kg in trotyl equivalent.

"We should clear out what the destination of this killing cargo was. Close to the place (of the explosion) there are a school and City Interior and FSB Departments," Russian Interior Minister Nurgaliev said earlier at a sitting in Moscow. He ordered to render assistance to casualties' families and victims of the explosions in Dagestan. In the course of the videoconference between the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and its counterpart in Dagestan, the head of the latter stated that both explosions in Kizlyar had been committed by terrorists-suicide-bombers.

Mr Nurgaliev also emphasized the must to take all the life-supporting objects of Dagestan under reinforced protection and check possible links of terror act organizers with illegal armed formations.

As reported by Nizam Radzhabov, spokesman of the press service of the Investigatory Committee (IC) of Dagestan, the IC's investigatory bodies have opened a criminal case on the crime attributes stipulated by Article 317 ("Encroachment on life of law enforcer"), part 1, Article 222 ("Illegal purchase, storage and bearing firearms"), part 1, Article 223 ("Illegal manufacture of firearms and explosives"), points "a" and "е", part 2, Article 105 ("Murder") and part 3, Article 30 ("Attempt of murdering two and more persons") of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Criminalists of the central office of the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutors Office (ICPO) of the Russian Federation will work in Kizlyar.

Currently, the place of explosions is studied by the investigatory group of the Investigatory Department of the IC for the Republic of Dagestan. Besides, inspectors and criminalists of the central office of the Investigatory Committee have left for Dagestan to render practical help.

President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev was informed about today's terror acts in Kizlyar. He talked to the head of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov by telephone and asked to render every possible help to casualties' families and victims, the ITAR-TASS reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that in 2009 and start of 2010 two terror acts were committed in Dagestan by suicide-bombers. They killed in total 9 persons, including suicide-bombers, 31 persons more were injured. A self-destructive terror act was committed on January 6, 2010, in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Six militiamen were lost, and 19 persons more, including civilians, received injuries and traumas of various gravity. On September 1, 2009, a terrorist-suicide bomber blew his car up near the northern post of the STSI (State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, known in Russia as "GIBDD"), also in Makhachkala, when he was stopped for document check. 13 persons suffered, one of them later died.

The situation in Dagestan remains restless. The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 26 five persons were heavily wounded, when unidentified persons shelled a rally of residents of Aksai village, Khasavyurt District of Dagestan. On March 25 in Makhachkala an attempt was made on Gitinamagomed Gadjimagomedov, head of the Rosselkhozbank for Dagestan. An explosive was triggered along the route, where a cortege was moving with Mr Gadjimagomedov in one of the cars; fortunately, nobody suffered. On that very day, in the Dagestan city of Kaspiisk, unidentified persons heavily wounded a militia captain - inspector on minors' cases.

On March 23, a huge terror act was prevented in Khasavyurt. On the previous day, March 22, also in Khasavyurt unidentified persons blew up a car with three securities of the oil company inside.

The "Caucasian Knot" watches the situation in Dagestan and runs the chronicle of local armed incidents.