Border guard killed, another missing on Russia’s southern rim

1 Russian border guard dead, another missing

MAKHACHKALA, Russia — One Russian border guard was killed and another who disappeared with him remained missing in the country’s volatile south, police said Monday.

The border guards were serving in Dagestan, a republic in the North Caucasus where law enforcement officers and other officials come under daily attack from militants.

At least three people were wounded in attacks carried out Monday, while four suspected militants died when explosives they were transporting by car unexpectedly blew up, police said.

The deputy major of the Dagestani city of Kizlyar was badly wounded when he was attacked by unknown gunmen outside the city administration building, police said.

A 5-year-old girl and 19-year-old woman were wounded in the city of Derbent when a nearby police post came under automatic weapons fire. Several stray bullets flew through the window of their house, police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said.

The two border guards were last seen late Saturday when they drove away from their post’s headquarters. One was found dead Sunday, but the other, a lieutenant colonel who commanded the local post, was still missing, said border guard spokesman Magomed Umalatov. Their vehicle also has not been found.

It was unclear what had happened to them and the spokesman refused further comment.

Russia has been fighting an insurgency in the North Caucasus following two wars in Chechnya in the past 15 years. The militants seek an Islamic emirate across the North Caucasus that adheres to Shariah law.

Rights activists say the attacks are in part provoked by extrajudicial killings, torture and kidnappings by police under the pretext of fighting terrorism.