Bus blows up on landmines in Algeria

At least one Russian citizen has been killed and another wounded in a bus explosion in Algeria. The Russian Embassy in the country says the incident was most likely a terror act.

The Russian citizen, named Derevyakin, and 3 Algerians died in a bus explosion on Saturday evening, near the Algerian city of Ain-Defla.

The bus exploded when it drove over 2 landmines. The vehicle belonged to a Russian company, Stroytransgaz. 

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the bus was returning from a gas pipeline construction site to its home base with 21 people on board. 

Another Russian citizen, identified as Korvyakov, was injured in the blast, as were two Ukrainians, Ivanov and Cherevkov.

The Russian Embassy in Algeria is classifying the incident as a terrorist attack.

‘The bus was hit by a blast of the landmine on March 3 at 19.30 Moscow time. Embassy representatives, including the Council, immediately went to the scene. At present we know that one Russian citizen died and another was injured.  Other victims are citizens of Algeria and Ukraine.  The attack was probably carried out by the members of a Salafi terror group, known as the Group for Preaching and Combat,’ Boris Gogolev, the Spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Algeria, said.