At least seven people were killed today in an attack in Russia's violence-plagued North Caucasus province of Dagestan, police said.
Most of the victims of the early morning attack were believed to have been workers sent to repair a mobile-phone tower some 80 km (50 miles) south of Dagestan's capital, Makhachkala, a provincial Interior Ministry spokesman said.
At least seven and possibly eight people were killed when assailants in two cars attacked the workers, either by setting off blasts or opening fire or both, the spokesman said. Hours later, police were exchanging fire with the attackers, he said.
In initial reports, the Interfax news agency cited a law enforcement official as saying a police convoy was attacked.
The ministry spokesman said it was unclear whether the repairmen were escorted by police when they came under attack.
Adjacent to Chechnya in Russia's restive, heavily Muslim North Caucasus, Dagestan is plagued by daily violence including frequent attacks that target law enforcement officials and are attributed to Islamic militants.
Reuters