Locomotive and two cars derailed by bomb in Dagestan

A bomb exploded under a passenger train in the violence-plagued Russian region of Dagestan, derailing the locomotive and two cars but causing no injuries.

The blast late Saturday took place near the site of a train bombing on July 25 that killed one person and wounded four others. Dagestan, which borders war-ravaged Chechnya, has been plagued by increasing violence believed to be connected with insurgents and criminal gangs. The Interior Ministry said the bomb's strength was equivalent to about five kilograms (11 pounds) of TNT. About 500 passengers were on the train, which was en route from the Dagestani capital Makhachkala to the city of Astrakhan. The blast took place near the town of Kizilyurt, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Chechen border. Many of the recent attacks in Dagestan have targeted law enforcement officers or government officials. Among those killed in the violence were the deputy interior minister, the nationalities minister and other officials from the multi-ethnic, mostly Muslim republic. The Moscow Bureau of Human Rights group said last month that some 70 terrorist acts have taken place this year in Dagestan, the majority of them in Makhachkala. Among the bloodiest was the May bombing of a truck carrying servicemen to a public bath house in May; 10 servicemen were killed in that attack, AP reports.