Power plant 'terror' attack kills 2 in Russia

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/21/russia.station.attack/

Power plant 'terror' attack kills 2 in Russia

By Maxim Tkachenko, CNN

July 21, 2010 8:04 a.m. EDT

Moscow, Russia(CNN) -- Unidentified gunmen killed two people and injured another

two Wednesday in what Russian officials called a terrorist attack intended to

blow up a hydroelectric power station.

The attackers targeted the Baksan Hydropower Plant in the North Caucasus

republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Investigative Committee of the Russian

Prosecutor's Office said.

They killed two guards and badly beat two control-room operators, authorities

said.

" At about 4 a.m., perpetrators wearing masks penetrated inside the station and

tied their hands with tape, " Valery Shogenov, the hydroelectric station's

manager, told Russian state television on the backdrop of his plant still

smoking.

" But the operators managed to finally free themselves from the tape and call us

about the accident, " he said.

While at the station, the gunmen triggered off four improvised explosive devices

that destroyed two of its three hydropower generators and caused a fire in the

control room.

Later, investigators defused a fifth device planted by the bombers that didn't

explode.

Russian security officials said the same gunmen had attacked a local police

station in Baksan vullage with grenade launchers shortly before storming into

the power plant.

" The possible suspects have been determined now, " the Russian National

Antiterrorist Committee said in a statement. " Government bodies are keeping the

situation under their control, " it said.

The special crisis center of the republic's law enforcement agencies said three

to five people were behind the attack.

RusHydro, the country's power-generating company, said on its website that the

fire had been extinguished, but part of the control room's equipment is damaged

and needs replacement.

RusHydro also said security has been boosted at all its hydroelectric plants

across Russia's restive northern Caucasus region.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin instructed government officials to take " speedy

measures to fully restore the power plant. "

The Baksan hydroelectric plant was built in 1936.

Russian media said this was the first time in the country's history that a power

plant was attacked by terrorists.