Russia/Ingushetia

Ingushetia president seriously injured in car bomb

Article published on the 2009-06-22 Latest update 2009-06-22 10:32 TU

Ingushetia President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov suffered brain and body injuries in the bomb blast
(Photo: Reuters)

The leader of Russia’s Ingushetia region is seriously ill in hospital after being caught in a massive car bomb explosion on Monday. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was wounded when three cars in his convoy were caught in the huge blast at 8.30am local time.

The explosion was heard in the region's main city Nazran, where it shattered windows.

"An attempt was carried out on the life of president Yevkurov. He is currently in a serious condition," a spokesman for the president told French news agency AFP.

Russian prosecutors investigative committee said the blast had the explosive force of 70 kilogrammes (150 pounds) of TNT and went off in a parked foreign-made car "where a suicide bomber could have been sitting."

At least one person was killed in the blast with three others injured although some Russian agencies are claiming that three of Yevkurov’s bodyguards were killed.

The president's younger brother Uvais is reported to be among the wounded.

A presidential spokesman said Yevkurov received wounds to the brain and body.

"An operation has been performed, but his condition is still serious," a surgeon at the hospital in Nazran told AFP. A team of doctors was being flown out from Moscow to attend to him.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who appointed the former paratroop commander as Ingush president in October after sacking his unpopular predecessor Murat Zyazikov, condemned the attack as an "act of terror".

"The Ingush president did much recently both to bring order and on the other hand, to bring civil peace to the republic. The bandits did not like this activity," said Medvedev.