Bomb explodes in Russia, no casualties

The explosive device was set off by a timer and had been packed with pieces of metal.

A bomb with the explosive force of about a half-kilogram of TNT exploded in the main city of restive Ingushetia, but no casualties were reported.

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The explosive device was set off by a timer and had been packed with pieces of metal with the apparent intent of causing wide injury, the ministry said.

Ingushetia borders Chechnya, where separatist rebels and Russian forces have been fighting for most of the past dozen years, and is itself increasingly troubled by violence.

In Chechnya, meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that a passenger in a minivan taxi attempted to detonate a grenade.