2 policemen killed in Grozny

Two policemen were killed and one wounded while they were trying to arrest militants in Grozny.

"The Chechen Interior Ministry's OMON special police force stopped a Niva car in Grozny's Staropromyslovsky district to check it. The driver and the passenger suddenly opened fire from a handgun and tried to escape," said a ministry source.

Both militants were killed in the skirmish. They are being identified at the moment. Two OMON policemen were killed and one wounded. Law enforcers are investigating into the incident.

A terrorist act was staged in the city the same day. No one was killed or injured, according to a press release issued by the unified press service of the Regional Staff for controlling the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus (ROSh).

"Militants detonated an improvised explosive device on Grozny's Tukhachevskogo street not far from the trade center," reads the press release.

The blast went off at lunch time when the streets were rather crowded. However, no one was killed or injured.

"Members of illegal armed groups are fulfilling their leaders' orders to intimidate population and bring instability to the republic ahead of the early presidential elections. Land mine blasts continue to be their favorite intimidation means," reads the press release.

Law enforcers are trying to identify those involved in the terrorist act, ROSh said in a statement.