St Petersburg metro bombing suspect ‘from Kyrgyzstan’

The man suspected of killing 11 people by bombing a St Petersburg train is a native of Kyrgyzstan who obtained Russian citizenship, the Central Asian country’s security service says, the BBC reports.

At least 45 people were injured in the explosion between two underground stations on Monday afternoon.

The Kyrgyz security service named the bomber as Akbarzhon Jalilov, who was born in Osh in 1995.

There are conflicting reports as to whether he was a suicide bomber.

Authorities in St Petersburg have declared three days of mourning.

Kyrgyz state media said the country’s security service was “maintaining contact with the Russian secret service for further investigation”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was in St Petersburg – his home city – when the blast occurred, visited the scene on Monday evening and laid flowers at a makeshift shrine.

Russian investigators have given few details. No group has said it was responsible.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS