An insurgent fighter killed by security forces in the North Caucasian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria Saturday night was preparing a major terrorist attack, according to the press service of the regional Interior Ministry.
Local authorities said the victim, who was killed after opening fire at a checkpoint when police attempted to inspect his car, was carrying a time bomb made of various chemicals mixed in a bucket and connected to a Casio watch.
“The power of the explosives was estimated to be 15 kilograms of TNT. Specialists believe there is no doubt that a terror attack was being prepared,” the press release said.
The bomb was defused on the spot, and police also found a machine gun and pistol in the victim’s car.
A low-intensity Islamic insurgency has plagued the volatile North Caucasus region in recent years. Once active in Chechnya, it has spread to the neighboring republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia and Kabardino-Balkaria, among others.