Moscow
(AsiaNews / Agencies) – The death toll so far is of nine people killed
by two explosions in Kizlyar, in Dagestan, the republic of Russia
located in the North Caucasus. The Russian agency Interfax reports
that one of the victims - mostly policemen - Vitaly Vedernikov, is head
of local security forces. Meanwhile in Moscow investigations into the
double attack on the capital's Metropolitan are continuing. The Pope
yesterday sent a telegram of condolences to President Dimitry Medvedev.
The first blast was caused by a car bomb explosion in Kizlyar,
placed near the offices of the local Interior Ministry and FSB
headquarters, the Russian secret service. The second occurred 20
minutes later, again in the same street. Government sources added that
the second bomb was triggered by a suicide bomber, disguised as a
policeman.
Over the past two years the violence in Dagestan has increased,
after a harsh crackdown against the Islamic fundamentalist militias in
neighbouring Chechnya. In June 2009 the Minister of Interior of the
region was killed in a shooting.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has vowed to punish the criminals. "We
know that they [the organisers] are lying low, but it is now a matter
of honour for the security forces to scrape them out from the bottom of
the sewers and bring them out into the light of day”. His speech
recalled his famous promises in 99 and his decision to strike the
rebels in their " outhouse " which sparked a harsh action against
Chechen militants.
While the funerals of the victims are underway and flowers are being
brought to Moscow stations where the attacks took place, Benedict XVI
sent a telegram yesterday to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
expressing his "deep sorrow and condemnation of these terrible acts of
violence." The pope also ensures "his solidarity, spiritual closeness
and condolences to the bereaved families and prayer for the decimated
lives”.
The car bomb in Dagestan took place two days after the
double terrorist attack in the Moscow metro, which left 39 dead. The
two attacks were carried out by two women suicide bombers, but the
police, through the Metro video surveillance have determined that they
had accomplices. A Moscow radio said that the suspects were from
Chechnya and were brought by a private bus to the subway.
Yesterday afternoon, the Cathedral of St. Saviour in central Moscow,
was evacuated, after a tip to police that a bomb had been placed
inside. More than 100 people left barely holding back the panic. But it
was a false alarm.
Meanwhile, the Islamic cultural centre in Moscow has
decided to open a hot line to gather information on the attacks and
promised to pay up to one million rubles (about 25 thousand euros) for
information that will be passed to the security services.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Double-bombing-in-Dagestan,-nine-dead-18027.html