MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) - An unknown attacker stabbed and killed the female mayor of a town in northwest Russia, news agencies quoted a security service source as saying on Wednesday.

Motives for the attack on Tuesday evening on the mayor of Kandalaksha are unclear, the source said.

Kandalaksha is a town of about 50,000 people in the Arctic circle about 300 kms (185 miles) south of Murmansk, the regional capital. (Writing by James Kilner)

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