A suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into the Nazran city police headquarters in Igusheta Province, Russia Monday killing at least 20 people and injuring 60 others. As officers lined up for morning inspection police fired weapons at the truck, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to halt it’s progress. The explosion destroyed numerous vehicles and damaged other buildings in the immediate area. The bomb caused ammunition housed in a police storage area to detonate, and resulted in a fire that burned for several hours.
A spokesperson from the Investigative Committee of the Russian Prosecutor General’s office attributed the incident to Islamic militants with ties to nearby Chechnya Province, in retaliation for recent security sweeps by authorities.
Local leaders have proclaimed a three-day mourning period in honor of the victims.