One killed, 14 injured in twin blasts in Dagestan

One person was killed and at least 21 injured early on Thursday in twin blasts that shook Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, a police source said. "The first blast occurred at about 00:35 Moscow time (20:35 GMT), only hundreds of meters away from the city's central square, the second took place in the same region some 15-17 minutes later," the source said. "According to preliminary data, 11 people were injured," he added, saying that the data is currently being verified. A republic’s interior ministry source said a police officer injured in the second blast died on his way to hospital. A spokesman for the local investigation department confirmed the report, saying that six police officers and one civilian were injured in the second blast, which took place when police units rushed to the scene of the first explosion. More that a decade after the end of a federal war against separatists in Chechnya, militants continue to stage frequent attacks on security forces, police and civilians, in other regions in the area, including Dagestan.