IS Group Claims Responsibility For Deadly Attack In Chechnya

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya in which a police officer was killed.

On July 1, an unknown man threw a grenade at a police post in Chechnya's western Achkhoi-Martan district and stabbed a police officer to death.

The assailant was shot dead by police officers.

The IS group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group , which tracks online activity of jihadist organizations.

Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, condemned the attack and vowed to increase counterterrorism efforts.

Attacks on police and authorities in Chechnya have persisted for years after Russia drove out a separatist Chechen government in the second of two devastating post-Soviet wars.

The wars spawned an Islamist insurgency that has spread from Chechnya to other mostly Muslim North Caucasus provinces.