Deadly Bomb Attacks in Chechnya

July 3 -- Dozens of Russian troops and police and some civilians have died in a series of suicide attacks over the past 24 hours carried out by Chechen rebels.

In one attack alone, at least 25 Russians are confirmed dead and 81 injured.

Rebel sources claimed that five suicide truck bomb attacks were carried out, one of which failed. Russian official sources have confirmed all five and have given provisional death and injury tolls for two.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rode to power in December in the wake of a brutal Russian military campaign to crush the Chechen rebels, was meeting with security advisers and may speak on the issue later.

Worst of the Attacks

The worst incident appears to have been in Argun, six miles east of the Chechen capital Grozny. Russian sources say “at least 25” died and 81 were injured when a truck loaded with explosives crashed through barriers and blew up. That death toll might rise, they warned, as the devastated building was combed for dead or survivors. ITAR-TASS, quoting police sources, spoke of 50 dead.

The Argun target was a hostel housing the Chelyabink unit of OMON police. OMON is a special interior crack police squad, seen in Chechnya as the long arm of the military and ruthless enforcer of Russian rule.

Detention centers run by OMON have been described by Human Rights organizations as brutal prisons where civilians are held without charge or trial and tortured. The rebels are demanding the release of 200 women and 250 children from such centers.

Another Deadly Blast

Another blast tore through the center of Gudermes, Chechnya’s second largest city, where a truck bomb appears to have exploded just short of its target. After initially denying casualties, Russian official sources admitted that three servicemen and eight civilians had been killed.

A third blast was confirmed in Urus-Martan, but no official casualty figures were available.

Chechen rebel leaders claim that a series of attacks took 200 Russian lives and injured a further 700. “This is just the beginning,” rebel leader Movladi Udugov said by phone from his hideaway.