A deadly explosion occurred on Wednesday, 24 December after police officers approached a suspicious individual in a location near the site of a high-profile military assassination that took place earlier this week.
According to the State Investigative Committee, two law enforcement officers were killed by an explosive device while attempting to intercept a man acting strangely.
A third person also died in the blast, though official sources have not yet confirmed the identity of that individual.
Criminal cases have been opened regarding the murder of law enforcement officers and the illegal trafficking of explosives.
Residents in the area reported a powerful blast that shook nearby buildings. One witness described the sound as a “loud bang,” comparing it to the explosion that occurred in the same vicinity just two days prior.
This incident took place very close to the location where a senior general, the head of the army operational training directorate for the General Staff, was killed by a car bomb on Monday. While there has been no official comment from external governments, the frequency of attacks on military figures has increased over the nearly four-year-old conflict.
Unofficial reports suggest the individual approached by police may have been the bomber, detonating the device as the officers closed in. These details remain under investigation.
