Two bombs blow up in Russia's southern republic, wounding PM

There were two explosions: the first one of them was just a plop, to detract attention

The Prime Minister of Ingushetia, Ibragim Malsagov, has been seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in the republic of Ingushetia today, in Russia's south, a source from republic's law-enforcement agencies said.

Two powerful explosions rocked one of the streets of the city of Nazran, the capital of Ingushetia, not far from the market, known in the city as the Malsagovsky market place. The explosions occurred at about 2:25 p.m. Moscow time today, Itar Tass reports. The prime minister of the republic has been seriously wounded as a result of the terrorist act. Malsagov has been hospitalized with leg wounds; the PM lost his consciousness, a source from the Internal Affairs Ministry of the republic said.

Doctors from the central hospital of the Ingushetia republic told Interfax that the chairman of the republican government, Ibragim Malsagov, had been wounded in the right hand and a shin. “His life is safe,” one of the doctors said.

The blasts killed one of Malsagov's bodyguards and seriously wounded two others. A high-ranking official from Ingushetia's law-enforcement authorities said that doctors had taken urgent measures, the prime minister was conscience and safe.

The explosions were caused with a powerful land mine, which had been placed on a roadside, when the prime minister's motorcade was passing by. Specialists are currently specifying the total number of victims of the terrorist act.

”As a matter of fact, there were two explosions. The first one of them was just a plop, to detract attention. The terrorists figured that the second blast would be the main one,” a law-enforcement officer said.

”The terrorists blew up two explosive devices with a ten-second interval,” acting Internal Affairs Minister of Ingushetia, Beslan Khamkhoyev said. “The bombs had been placed at the distance of some 10-15 meters far from each other,” said he.

The Office of the Public Prosecutor of Ingushetia opened an investigation into the terrorist act, attempted assassination and murder.

The Prime Minister of Ingushetia, Ibragim Malsagov, is 44 years old, he is a father of five children. Malsagov took the position of the prime minister in 2005. It became the second terrorist act in the capital of Ingushetia, Nazran, this week. A bomb blew up not far from the central hospital of Nazran on August 22; one person was killed in the explosion.