Campaign convoy attacked in Karachayevo-Cherkessia, two people killed

In Karachayevo-Cherkessia (a republic in the North Caucasus), unknown offenders attacked by fire a campaign convoy of a candidate for the republic's president, Vladimir Semenov, killing two people and severely wounding other two who have been taken to the intensive care, the republic's interior ministry informed RIA Novosti.

According to the information, the convoy with Semenov's supporters was attacked at about 1 p.m. Moscow time near the village of Krasnogorskaya on the highway on the way from Karachayevsk to Cherkessk.

"Vladimir Semenov described the attack on the pool of his supporters as an attempt of extremist forces to frighten the voters and to get the power in the republic at any price," Oleg Meshcherin, representative of Karachayevo-Cherkessia under the Russian President, told RIA Novosti.

The second round of the presidential elections in Karachayevo-Cherkessia is to be held on August 31, 2003.

The candidates that passed the first round on August 17th are president of the republic's national bank Mustafa Batdyev and incumbent president of Karachayevo-Cherkessia Vladimir Semenov.