Three Russian policemen died and nine were injured in bomb attacks by rebels in the volatile Caucasus region on Monday, according to dpa. A patrol of paramilitary police in the Vedensky region of the Republic of Chechnya was moving through a mountainous region north of the village of Kharakha when a concealed bomb exploded. Among those killed was the platoon commander and a regional inspector responsible for anti-terrorist operations. Five of the injured were hospitalized, the Interfax news agency reported, citing army officers. The neighbouring Dagestan province also saw deadly violence on Monday with a roadside bomb killing one policeman and injuring two a residential street in the regional capital Makhachkala. The police officers were conducting a routine early morning patrol when their car was struck by the bomb made up of an estimated six kilogrammes of plastic explosives, according to a statement from authorities in Dagestan. A policeman and a civilian were injured in the blast. They were expected to recover, the statement said.
