A suicide bomber blew himself up in the capital of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya on Wednesday, injuring five police officers and two women, Chechen investigators said.
The blast occurred when a 22-year-old local resident approached a police vehicle parked near a concert hall in downtown Grozny.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was in the building at the time of the explosion but said he did not know if he was the bomber's intended target.
"It is unclear what he wanted on his conscience, but the policemen showed their worth and he blew himself up," Kadyrov said.
The president said the blast was minor, adding that not one window in nearby buildings was shattered and people inside the theater did not hear the explosion. He put the number of injured at three police and two civilians.
The police cordon around the site of the blast has been lifted and traffic on Putin Avenue and nearby streets resumed.
Sporadic terrorist attacks and militant clashes are common in Russia's southern mainly Muslim republics in the North Caucasus, especially Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.
The Kremlin has pledged to wage "a ruthless fight" against militant groups but also acknowledged a need to tackle unemployment, organized crime, clan rivalry and corruption as causes of the ongoing violence in the region.
Russia has been fighting militants in the North Caucasus for over a decade, including two separatist wars in Chechnya.
GROZNY, June 30 (RIA Novosti)
