Another explosion being investigated in Chechnya

A representative of Chechnya's authorities declared that an explosion on avehicle with police officers in the Shali district center was not a resultof a land mine blast. Abdul-Khakim Sultygov, special representative of theRussian President for human rights in Chechnya, who inspected the site ofthe blast, told reporters in Grozny today that no respective shell-hole hadbeen discovered at the site of the explosion. Additionally, there are noother signs of a land mine explosion. An officer of the Military Governor'sOffice in Shali told an RBC correspondent, "the town is patrolled for 24hours a day, and it is rather difficult to set up a land mine within thetown limits."As it was reported earlier, there were officers of a local policedepartment, returning from a special operation, in the vehicle. As a resultof the blast, which took place at 1:30 a.m. Moscow time today, 6 peoplewere killed and 12 were injured. Akhmad Kadyrov, head of Chechnya'sadministration, has taken the investigation of the incident under hispersonal control. It is the first time when a special government commissionhas been formed to investigate such an incident..