Police in the Russian Southern republic of Dagestan believe terrorists could be to blame for a car blast which killed one of the country's senior clergymen on Thursday evening.
Kuramagomed Ramazanov and his fellow-traveller died when his “Toyota” vehicle exploded in the republic's capital of Mahachkala. “The car exploded while it was moving down the street and it immediately caught on fire. People gathered around and helped the man to get out. Then everybody stepped aside and a second blast rocked the vehicle but no one was near, luckily,” a witness says. Ramazanov used to be the country's deputy mufti, a clergyman who is responsible for supervising the application of Islamic law. Another man managed to get out of the car and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.