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U.S. expresses solidarity with Russia following Chechnya attack

20 October 2010 02:35 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United States on Tuesday expressed its solidarity with Russia in the struggle against terrorism following a terrorist attack on the parliament of Russia ’s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, which left at least six people dead and several others injured, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

"The U.S. government offers its deepest condolences to the victims," U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at the department. "We’re concerned about continued violence in Russia’s North Caucasus, which contributes to instability and personal insecurity in the region."

The Interfax news agency reported that two militants blew themselves up at the door of the Chechen parliament building Tuesday morning while other armed men broke into the building and began shooting. People inside the building were evacuated to allow a successful operation to eliminate all the militants.

Violence is common for North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia with militants frequently assaulting police officers and authorities.

Toner said that several independent nongovernmental reports confirm that the level of violence has increased in 2010 in several North Caucasus regions, and the United States is " following these events closely."