Bomb technicians have deactivated a powerful bomb and several other explosive devices planted on a pipeline in the southern Russian Republic of Ingushetia.
“The demining of the pipeline itself and the surrounding area was fully completed at 10:15 Moscow time on Monday,” Ingush Prime Minister Aleksey Vorobyov told Interfax news agency.
As a result of the incident, Russia has temporarily shut several gas transiting facilities, stopping gas supplies to Armenia.
The explosives were found on Sunday night under the natural gas pipeline running from Mozdok in North Ossetia to Georgia.
“During an initial survey of the elevated part of the pipeline, sappers discovered one powerful bomb and several booby traps nearby,” a source from the FSB in Ingushetia was quoted by the agency as saying.
“Due to poor visibility it was decided to start the mine-clearing process at dawn. The gas in the pipeline was turned off to avoid a major disaster,” he added.
The source pointed out that the booby traps were planted in the hope that sappers would not notice them.