Russian security service officer blown up in Caucasus

MOSCOW - Agence France-Presse

The wreakage of a car rests at the site of a suspected terrorist blast in the outskirts of Makhachkala, capital of the republic of Dagestan, Russia, 04 May 2012. EPA photo

A Russian state security service officer died of multiple injuries after assailants blew up his car in the volatile North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria, officials said on Sunday.
 
After the blast in the town of Baksan late Saturday, the officer with the FSB security service was hospitalised with multiple wounds and had his legs amputated.
 
"He died despite medical assistance being rendered," Moscow-based investigators said in a statement.
 
Police later engaged in a shootout during a security sweep after some men opened fire when asked to provide documents, regional police said.
 
One assailant was killed and three police officers were wounded, they said, adding that two suspected militants managed to flee.
 
Russia is fighting a simmering Islamist insurgency in the Caucasus, mostly in Dagestan and Ingushetia, but Kabardino-Balkaria, which is known for its ski resorts, has also seen a rise in attacks in the past years.