Identified as Russia subway bomber
Akbarzhon Jalilov’s DNA is found on bag containing explosive
The main suspect in a blast in a St Petersburg train carriage that killed 14 people and wounded 50 is a Russian citizen originally from Kyrgyzstan, authorities said on Tuesday.
Russia’s state investigative committee named Akbarzhon Jalilov as the man behind the blast, confirming an earlier statement from Kyrgyzstan’s security services.
State investigative authorities said fragments of the suspect’s body had been found among the dead, indicating he was a suicide bomber.
The perpetrator had radical Islamist links, Russian media cited law enforcement officials as saying. This raised the possibility the attack could have been inspired by Islamic State, which has not struck a major city in Russia before.
The explosion in the middle of Monday afternoon occurred when the train was in a tunnel deep underground, amplifying the force of the blast. The carriage door was blown off, and witnesses described seeing injured passengers with bloodied and blackened bodies.
The National Anti-terrorist Committee said an explosive device had been found at another station, hidden in a fire extinguisher, but it had been defused.
Russia has been on alert against attacks in reprisal for its military intervention in Syria, where Moscow’s forces have been supporting troops loyal to President Bashar al-assad against Western-backed armed groups as well as the hardline Islamic State which grew out of the conflict.
Islamic State, now under attack by all sides in Syria’s multi-faceted war, has repeatedly threatened revenge and has been linked to recent bombings in other parts of Europe.
If confirmed that the bomber was linked to radicals, it could provoke anger among Russians at Moscow’s decision to intervene in Syria, a year before an election which President Vladimir Putin is expected to win.
Officials said they were treating the blast as an act of terror, but there was no confirmation of any link to Islamist radicals.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said it was cynical to say the bombing in St Petersburg was revenge for Russia’s role in Syria. He said the attack showed that Moscow needed to press on with its fight against terrorism.
PUTIN’S PRESENCE IN CITY ‘NOTEWORTHY’
The Kremlin said it was “noteworthy” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been in the city at the time of the attack. It did not elaborate, but said such attacks on Russia were a challenge for every citizen, including the president.
Monday’s blast raised security fears beyond Russian frontiers. France, which has itself suffered a series of attacks, announced additional security measures in Paris.
Russian officials received a warning of a possible second attack at the same station on Tuesday but that alert was later lifted and the station reopened.
BERLIN PANNED FOR NOT LIGHTING GATE
A row has erupted over Berlin’s decision to not illuminate the Brandenburg Gate in the colours of the Russian flag following the bombing.
Critics accused Berlin of being indifferent to the deaths of Russians, noting that the city’s iconic monument was bathed in the colours of other countries following attacks in London, Paris, Brussels and Istanbul.
Berlin authorities said the four mentioned are Berlin’s official partner cities, but acknowledged exceptions have been made — the gate was lit with the relevant colours after attacks in Jerusalem and Orlando.