Ingushetia Gun Battle Leaves Policeman, Presidential Bodyguards Dead

NAZRAN, Ingushetia -- Three people were killed in a gun battle between police and presidential bodyguards in the volatile Russian republic of Ingushetia on April 28, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reports.

The incident took place in the Nasyr-Kort district of the city of Nazran.

Reports say a police officer manning a checkpoint fired his automatic weapon at the presidential bodyguards during a dispute.

A policeman and two bodyguards were killed in the ensuing gunbattle.

Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was not with the presidential bodyguards when the shooting broke out, but he later visited the scene.

Ingushetia has experienced an upsurge in violence in recent years, with scores of murders, kidnappings, and disappearances each year.

Locals told RFE/RL that they were surprised by the absence of any official Kyrgyz reaction to the measure.