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Casualties Grow in N. Caucasus Twin Blasts

03 May 2012 23:59 (UTC +04:00)

"Twelve people died - three civilians, three rescuers, the remaining [victims] are police officers. Casualty reports are still being verified," the spokesman said.

Hospital sources earlier told RIA Novosti that the number of injured could be â€œbetween 25 and 30.â€ A police source said 20 people were injured.

The first blast, an apparent suicide car bomber attack, occurred near a police field post on the outskirts of the city at about 22:10 local time [18:10 GMT] on Thursday. The second explosion occurred nearby 10 minutes later, when a vehicle with emergency responders had arrived at the scene. Earlier reports said 9 people were killed and 20 injured.

The explosions could be heard throughout the city, located in Russiaâ€™s volatile North Caucasus. Attacks on security forces, police and civilians are still frequent in the region more than a decade after the end of a war against separatists in Russiaâ€™s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.

A law enforcement said that the twin blasts are likely to be qualified as a terrorist attack.

The republicâ€™s head, Magomedsalam Magomedov, had to cut short his working visit to Moscow and is urgently returning to the republic.