Abkhazian Leader Survives Assassination Attempt

(Image source: Vestnik Kavkaza )   BY ZAKIYYAH WAHAB ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA   You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.   Current Abkhazia president Alexander Ankvab escaped unscathed Wednesday from yet another apparent attempt on his life. The BBC reports this one happened when his motorcade was attacked in the country -- which is located between Russia and Georgia.    “A land mine exploded as the president’s convoy passed on the road from Gudauta to Sukhumi...[and] assailants...opened fire with machine-guns and grenade launchers...”   Russia Today has more .   “One of Ankvab’s security guards was wounded, the presidential administration also confirmed that another security guard was killed. The president himself wasn’t injured.”   This assassination is believed to be the sixth attempt on his life since 2005. Stratfor has footage of the aftermath . It’s unknown who was behind the alleged attempt. As Civil Georgia reports :   “...the most recent attack... was probably a result of Ankvab’s declared goal to crack down on corruption and crime … Ankvab publicly lambasted senior leadership of the interior ministry for ‘covering up’ crimes...”   However, some connect the assassination to the Russo-Georgian war that took place in 2008. According to Russia Beyond the Headlines , the former chairman of Abkhazia’s Supreme Council thinks Ankvab...   “...is a not-quite-eligible partner for the Russian leadership...[and thinks of] the incident as an attempt of the Russian authorities to frighten the Abhkazian leader...”   But the New York Times has it that Russian authorities view the incident as an attempt to...   “...destabilise the situation in the republic before upcoming parliamentary elections... [and that] the attack was likely to provoke new anxiety in Moscow, which has been struggling to damper recent political political tremors in Abkhazia...”   According to Voice of Russia , the Kremlin press office says...   “Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has offered to help the investigation of today’s assassination attempt...”   The Abkhazian president reportedly went back to work after the attack.