Gang attacks Russian border troops after car accident

May 25, 2011, 9:23 GMT

Moscow - A gang of young men attacked a compound for Russian border troops Wednesday, touching off a brawl that left one person with a gunshot wound.

The men, thought to be residents of a village in Russia's western Astrakhan province, made the assault on the government base, which is manned by troops monitoring the Caspian Sea area.

The soldiers attempted to defuse the confrontation by first shooting into the air and then into the ground, according to an official statement. The attackers ignored the warnings and charged the soldiers.

The fight pitted 10-15 civilians against 10 border troops, local media reported.

During the melee, one attacker was shot in the leg and one soldier lost his army-issue Kalashnikov to a civilian combatant, who escaped with the weapon, the Interfax news agency said.

No arrests were reported. The village mayor issued a statement calling for 'calm and an end to illegal activity.'

Police investigating the incident said the conflict most likely started Tuesday evening after a minor automobile accident involving a pair of soldiers and four local residents.

The vehicles' occupants came to blows while discussing responsibility for the accident. The residents then called their friends to join in the attack on the soldiers' base.

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