Car bomb kills three in Russia

(Vatican Radio) A state of emergency was declared in the southern Russian city of Pyatigorsk on Friday, after a car bomb killed at least three people. The explosion happened just 270km from Sochi, where Russia will host the Winter Olympics in six weeks’ time.



The attack is seen as part of a wider campaign by militants who want to establish an Islamic state in the North Caucasus. Their insurgency is rooted in two post-Soviet wars in Chechnya, one of the region's provinces. Violence has also been fueled by poverty and organized crime.


One Chechen warlord, Doku Umarov, has urged rebels to use "maximum force" to stop the Olympics, despite a massive security operation by Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has staked his reputation on safe and successful games, but Friday's blast underscores concerns over safety.

The latest blast comes two months after a suicide bomber killed six people on a bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.


Listen to this report by Stefan Bos: