Fatal Blast Hits Apartments in South Russia

News of another terrorist bombing of a large apartment block shocked Russians this morning, the latest in a series of attacks that have killed more than 270 people in Moscow and southern Russia.

Russians awoke to the news of a fifth blast in just over two weeks, this one in the southern town of Volgadonsk. Seven people were confirmed killed and 47 hospitalized in the blast, which blew the facade off two sides of the building.

The nation has been rocked by the bombings, which authorities blame on Chechen rebel leaders fighting Russian forces in the volatile southern republic of Dagestan.

Early news reports were sketchy. The explosives were reportedly planted near the apartment building in a truck, which exploded at 5:50 a.m. Terrorists used a truckload of explosives to blow up a building housing military families in Buynaksk, Dagestan, earlier this month, killing 64 people.

The deadliest attack so far occurred Monday, leveling an apartment block in southern Moscow and killing 118 people.

A man claiming to be from the group responsible for the apartment blasts in Buynaksk and Moscow called the Itar-Tass news agency office Wednesday, claiming that the attacks were the work of the Dagestan Liberation Army in revenge for Russian bombings of villages in Chechnya and Dagestan.