Islamic state claims knife attack in capital of Russia’s southern Chechnya

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a knife attack on police on Monday in the capital of Russia’s southern Chechnya region, Al-Naba newspaper affiliated with the group said on Friday.

It made the claim without providing any evidence.

Two assailants killed one policeman and injured another on Monday in Grozny, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said. The poor and mainly Muslim region has seen previous attacks on security officials and an insurgency since Moscow fought two wars with separatists after the 1991 Soviet Union breakup.

Kadyrov said the attackers were brothers from the neighbouring region of Ingushetia who worked at a bakery in Chechnya. They were shot dead while trying to seize weapons, he said.