Context
Twin bombs struck the main city of Dagestan’s in Russia on Thursday, killing 12 and wounding 120 people. The first blast took place in Makhachkala when a car laden with explosives detonated near a post belonging to the traffic police. The second bombing occurred 15 minutes later as people and security personnel gathered at the scene. The attacks came just few days before President Dmitry Medvedev relinquishes power to Vladimir Putin, who had once vowed to wipe out militants.

The Kremlin has been fighting an insurgency in Chechnya since the 1990s. However, the separatist militants, who want to establish an Islamic state, have adopted a more Islamist orientation and have spread to the adjacent regions of Ingushetia and Dagestan.

The attack has occurred as Russia voiced strong concerns regarding NATO Missile Defense System, and warned of a preemptive strike. On the other hand, US signed a strategic deal with Afghanistan for its role there beyond 2014.

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