Russian Foreign Ministry: Suicide Bombings on Friday Prove Bombers are Part of International Terrorist Network - 2002-12-29

Russian officials are still searching for survivors in the ruins of the Chechen government command post after the suicide bombing on Friday in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. These officials say at least 55 people were killed in this explosion, which turned the building into a hollow shell. The attack also resulted in approximately 150 injuries. The bombers detonated two trucks carrying about 10 tons of explosives. Officials say their vehicles had military license plates, which allowed them to pass through several checkpoints to approach the building. No claims of responsibility for the explosions have yet been received, but the Russian government immediately blamed the Chechen separatists and their leader, Aslan Maskhadov. The separatists, despite their opposition to the local government that was the target of these attacks, condemned the bombing. Nevertheless, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, stated that this bombing would not delay the constitutional referendum in Chechnya scheduled for March. The aim of this election is to pave the way for new presidential elections in Chechnya. According to Russian media reports, the recent explosion is seen as a setback for Mr. Putin's insistence that violence in Chechnya has ended. Many residents of this predominantly Muslim republic have a long history of resistance against Moscow.