AP reporter: Blast shakes center of Chechen capital in Russia’s south; sees 3 people injured

AP reporter: Blast hits center of Chechen capital

GROZNY, Russia — An Associated Press reporter has heard a powerful explosion shake the center of the capital of the restive Russian region of Chechnya and seen people injured by the blast.

The explosion detonated near Grozny’s drama theater about 6 p.m. Wednesday. The AP reporter saw one person who appeared gravely wounded and two others with light injuries.

There was no immediate official word on what caused the explosion. The ITAR-Tass news agency quoted a law enforcement source as saying it was a terrorist act.

Chechnya has been wracked by two wars between separatists and Russian forces since 1994, and scattered violence and clashes continue even though full-scale offensives have stopped.