Three police have been killed and two others injured in Russia’s southern republic of Ingushetia when their vehicle hit a land mine.
According to the local Interior Ministry, the attack occurred at about 2 pm Moscow time.
A crime scene investigation is now in progress.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Chechnya, police have arrested three suspected suicide bombers who were allegedly planning to carry out a series of large-scale attacks.
A police station in the republic’s capital Grozny is believed to have been a target.
Attacks on police and acts of terror have recently intensified in the North Caucasus.
This June, the head of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov survived an assassination attempt. He resumed his duties in late August after almost two months in hospital.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is pressing for a more coordinated effort in tackling terrorism.
Meeting with security chiefs from the Commonwealth of Independent States, Dmitry Medvedev stressed the international nature of terror.
“Given the integration process in the CIS and globalization in general, almost any security-related threats – terrorism, extremism and organized crime – are not a national challenge anymore. That’s why I welcome this kind of cooperation between our nations,” Dmitry Medvedev said.