Car bomb blast in Russian market

A car bomb exploded today in the central market of Vladikavkaz, a southern Russian city near the war-wracked republic of Chechnya.

Heavy smoke filled the area as firefighters battled flames after the explosion and and a number of fatalities were reported.

A March 1999 bombing in Vladikavkaz’s central market killed 55 people and wounded 168. Four men were convicted and given sentences up to life in prison for the bombing.

The group was also implicated in a May 1999 bombing at a military outpost that killed four and injured 17, a June 1999 blast in Vladikavkaz that injured 17 and the abduction of three Russian soldiers.

Vladikavkaz is the capital of the province of North Ossetia, to the west of Chechnya where rebels and Russian forces have been fighting since 1999.