Explosion in Dagestan Derails Moscow-Baku Freight Train

Early this morning there was an apparent terrorist attack on a freight train in Dagestan in the North Caucasus. From Dig, via Vlad Tepes:

There has been an explosion on the Moscow-Baku railway in Kajakent, Dagestan at 03:40 local time today. Reportedly, two explosive details were set up, one with a power of about 5kg of TNT to attack a train, and the second with a power of about 1kg of TNT to attack rescue personnel. A freight train carrying pipes, lumber, road surfacing material and grain has been damaged; no injuries have been reported. The section of the railway has been closed for traffic, leading to disruptions in train schedules.

The story from ITAR-TASS:

Eight wagons run off tracks in Dagestan as result of blast

MAKHACHKALA, April 4 (Itar-Tass) — Eight freight wagons ran off the tracks (five of them overturned) as a result of a blast on the Moscow-Baku railway, Dagestan. There were no casualties, Itar-Tass learnt from a source at republican law enforcement bodies on Sunday.

According to the source, “one of wagons caught fire as a result of the saboteur act, but it was put out by firemen”.

The source reported that the freighter with various goods (piping, road-metal and grain) was heading for Azerbaijan. A Tyumen-Baku passenger train with 119 people, including 11 children, is now delayed at the Makhachkala railway terminal.

The place of the incident is now being inspected by specialists, looking for explosive devices. Repair work will start when they complete their job.

The nature of the blast and a scale of destruction of the rail-tracks are being specified.

And from RFE/RL:
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Explosion Derails Freight Train In Daghestan

An explosive device placed on a railway line derailed a freight train early today in Russia’s troubled North Caucasus republic of Daghestan.

Russian news agencies report there was an explosion on the tracks near the village of Pervomaiskoye, derailing eight carriages. No casualties were reported.

Islamist militants have stepped up attacks in recent months throughout Russia’s Caucasus region.

On March 31, suicide bombers killed 12 people, including nine police officers, in the town of Kizlyar in Daghestan.

Two days earlier, twin suicide bombings killed 40 people on the Moscow metro. Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility for that attack.