Moscow: Over 20 people were killed and dozens more injured on May 14 when a female suicide bomber blew herself in a large religious congregation in the insurgency-torn republic of Chechnya, administration sources said.

The suicide attack, second in Chechnya in the last 48 hours, was carried out during the religious festivities near Belorechye village in Gudermes district attended by thousands of Muslims from Southern Russia, Chechnya's prosecutor Vladimir Kraychenko was quoted as saying by Itar Tass news agency.

The Chechen Interior Ministry does not rule out that the attack was against the head of Chechen administrator Akhmat Kadyrov, who attended the event, Itar-Tass said, adding Kadyrov was not hurt in the incident.

In a deadly suicide attack on May 12, a truck-bomb had exploded at a government building in Northern Chechnya, killing at least 59 people.

PTI