GROZNY, May 15 (RIA Novosti) - The president of the volatile Russian republic of Chechnya said he was canceling amnesty for militants following a suicide attack in the capital that killed two police officers earlier on Friday.
"I have worked hard to find a compromise with those whose hands were not stained with blood, they were offered amnesty and the chance to return to a peaceful life," Ramzan Kadyrov said.
Russia fought two wars against separatists in largely Muslim Chechnya and last month announced a formal end of the decade-long "counterterrorism regime," citing improved security in the region, although sporadic fighting continues to be reported.
At least two police officers were killed and three injured on Friday in a bomb blast near the Chechen Interior Ministry in central Grozny. The explosion was set off by a suicide bomber.
"The situation has changed. There will be no mercy for them any more, there will be no amnesty," said Kadyrov, himself a former separatist.
Last month, Kadyrov announced that the war against insurgents had been won. Russian commanders warned in late April that terrorists were planning a series of new attacks.
