MOSCOW: An attack on an Orthodox church on Saturday in the mainly Muslim southern Russian republic of Chechnya killed two policemen and a civilian and left four rebels dead, officials said.

“According to early information, two policemen in charge of security at the church ... and a civilian were killed,” the officials said. They added that “four rebels have been eliminated” while two other policemen were hurt.

They also indicated a knife and a gun were found on the attackers behind the assault targeting the Archangel Michael church in central Grozny, and said police had prevented “more serious consequences and a larger number of victims.” Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov had earlier told Russian news agencies that rebels acting “on the orders of a Western country” were seeking “to take believers hostage” in a troubled republic where Russia has fought two fierce wars with separatists over the past 20 years.

After the first 1994-1996 conflict the region became increasingly Islamicised and the unrest spread thereafter through the North Caucasus.

In June 2015, the rebels swore allegiance to the militant Islamic State group and the region has provided a steady stream of jihadist combatants to both Syria and Iraq.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.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2018