A bus carrying fifteen schoolchildren were attacked by unidentified assailants in the Republic of Ingushetia. They opened fire at the bus and beat the driver with sticks.
According to the Ingushetia’s Investigative Department, on the evening of 7 December, unknown assailants in two separate cars opened fire at a minibus carrying 15 schoolchildren from a local school in the village of Ekajevo. The attackers then physically assaulted the 32-year-old driver and fled the scene.
No child was injured during the incident, while the driver received medical attention shortly after, according to the investigation.
Ingushetia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that the attack was motivated by a dispute between local residents and the bus driver. The Ministry refused to issue details about the incident, or information about the victim and the alleged assailants.
The Ministry also reported that work was underway to identify all the circumstances around the incident.
According to a report by the Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office, the MIA initiated criminal proceedings against the alleged culprits, on grounds of ‘hooliganism’ and ‘wilful destruction of property’.
The Public Prosecutor also launched a separate investigation into the attack and is reportedly verifying whether the bus driver was compliant with federal legislation regarding the transportation of minors.
