Police kill 4 gunmen who raided Orthodox church in Chechnya
MOSCOW — Four gunmen attacked a Russian Orthodox church in the mostly Muslim Russian province of Chechnya, but were killed by security forces in a clash Saturday that also left two policemen and a churchgoer dead. The attack underscored security challenges in Russia as it prepares to host soccer’s World Cup next month.
The provincial capital of Chechnya, Grozny, is not scheduled to host any World Cup games, but the Egyptian team planned to use it as a training base.
Chechnya’s Moscow-backed regional leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, said the gunmen attacked the Archangel Michael Church in the centre of Grozny. He said on his blog that he personally oversaw a special operation in which all the assailants were killed.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigative agency, said two police officers were killed and another two were wounded in the clash. One churchgoer also died dead and another one was wounded. The agency said the assailants were armed with guns and knives.