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Three servicemen killed, three wounded in car blast in Grozny

The blast occurred at about 14:00 Moscow time, in Baisangur Benoisky Street

MOSCOW, August 6 (Itar-Tass) —— Three servicemen of internal troops were killed and three others heavily wounded in a blast of an army vehicle in Grozny, spokesman for internal forces of the Russian Interior Ministry Vasily Panchenkov reports.

“An explosive device went off under an armored Gazel car at about 12:30 on Monday when the car was leaving Khankala locality,” Panchenkov said. “Inside the car were servicemen of the 46-1 brigade of internal forces of the Russian Interior Ministry that is permanently stationed at Grozny’s Severny airport,” he said.

“The car was much damaged. Three servicemen – two officers and a contract soldier - died of wounds. The three wounded - an officer and two contract soldiers - were hospitalized,” Panchenkov said.

He said one wounded was taken for treatment to the medical battalion of the 46th brigade and two others to nearby city hospitals. “Medics regard the wounds as grave,” Panchenkov noted.

He said a team of specialists, including eight surgeons, had been formed at the main military clinical hospital of internal forces of the Russian Interior Ministry in Moscow. “If needed, they are ready to fly to Grozny to treat the wounded,” he said.

There is different information about the number of the killed and the circumstances of the incident, however.

Thus, a spokesman for the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that not only servicemen but also civilians were hit by the blast.

The republican investigation department has the information about four dead, two of them servicemen, and three wounded.

The press service of the head and the government of the Chechen Republic reports that two suicide bombers possibly set off the explosive device.

Meanwhile the law enforcement services of the North Caucasus Federal District had earlier reported that the blast occurred at the Voentorg store and that combat engineers deactivated an unexploded bomb nearby.