Russia halts gas supplies to Armenia after discovery of bombs

Moscow, Dec 14 (UNI): Russia has temporarily halted gas supplies to the former Soviet Republic of Armenia after two bombs were found near a gas pipeline.

Bomb technicians today defused two explosive devices planted on a natural gas pipeline in the south Russian Republic of Ingushetia, RIA Novosti news agency reported quoting a local security spokesman.

''Two explosive devices based on hand grenades have already been deactivated,'' the spokesman said, adding sappers would continue searching for other explosives for several more hours.

Armenia receives about two billion cubic metres of gas a year from Russia via Georgia.

It is not known who was behind the planting of the device on the pipeline.

Russian energy giant Gazrpom confirmed yesterday that a bomb had been found on the pipeline running from Mozdok in the Russian republic of North Ossetia to Georgia.

Several gas transiting facilities were temporarily shut down after the news.

Supplies to Georgia were not affected, a spokeswoman for Georgia's Oil and Gas Corporation said.

The Ingushetia region near the borders of Chechnya has recently been the focus of attacks by Islamist rebels.

Militants have been battling pro-Kremlin authorities and Russian security forces in a low-level insurgency in Ingushetia and the Caucasus region for years.