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North Caucasus knifeman grabs policeman’s gun, kills two

A man armed with a knife stabbed a policeman Saturday then grabbed the officer’s gun and killed two other policemen before he was himself shot dead, authorities in a troubled North Caucasus republic said.

The attack occurred in the North Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria as police carried out a traffic check in the capital Nalchik, Russian news agencies reported, citing the interior ministry.

The driver stabbed one officer, who survived, took his pistol then opened fire at other policemen at the scene. Two officers aged 31 and 35 were killed and three others were wounded.

A medical student at the scene gave aid to the injured.

The attacker, named as Alim Chechenov, was shot dead by police, authorities said.

Attacks, explosions and killings of law enforcement officials are a near-daily occurrence in the Caucasus republics.

The attacks are usually blamed on local criminals and Islamists with links to Chechnya.

Fuelled by endemic poverty and corruption, the militants are seeking to establish an independent Islamic state across the North Caucasus region, which straddles southwest Russia between the Black and Caspian seas.