Beijing sends its condolences to Moscow

President Xi Jinping sent a letter of condolence to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday over the St. Petersburg Metro bombing.

Xi said he was shocked to learn that the explosion led to major casualties, adding that China strongly condemns the terror attack.

“On behalf of the Chinese government and Chinese people, and in my own name, I would like to offer profound condolences for the deceased and express my sincere sympathy to the injured and the fami- lies of the victims,” he said.

Xi said the Chinese people would stand firmly with the Russian people at this difficult moment.

China firmly opposes terrorism in all forms and is willing to step up cooperation on counterterrorism with Russia and the international community, to safeguard the peace and security in the region and the world, he said.

At least 14 people were killed and 49 others were wounded in the subway blast on Monday. Hours later, police defused a bomb at another station.

Russian investigators said on Tuesday that Akbarzhon Dzhalilov, 22, was the suicide bomber in the attack. They did not disclose whether Dzhalilov had accomplices or connections to terrorist groups. RIA Novosti news agency reported that Dzhalilov was born in Kyrgyzstan and attained Russian citizenship.

While the subway system was fully reopened, the city got another scare on Tuesday when the Sennaya Ploshchad Metro station was temporarily closed after an anonymous bomb threat. It reopened after several hours.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s subway bombing, which came while Putin was visiting St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-biggest city and Putin’s hometown.

Security measures, including sniffer dogs and metal detectors, were stepped up in the Moscow Metro network.