Where were the St Petersburg metro explosions, why was Putin in the Russia’s second city and was it a terrorist attack?
As many as 14 killed and over 40 injured in underground train bomb blast
A SUSPECTED suicide bomb blasted through a St Petersburg metro train killing 14 and injuring dozens.
Shocking images showed the scale of destruction when one of two explosive devices was set off at around 2.30pm local time between Tekhnologichesky Institut and Sennaya Ploshchad stations.
Where were the St Petersburg metro explosions?
The explosion happened as the train was travelling between stations in the centre of St Petersburg.
A bomb laden with shrapnel was set off between Tekhnologichesky Institut and Sennaya Ploshchad, the National Anti-terrorism Committee confirmed.
A third device was found and disarmed at Ploshchad Vosstaniya station.
The stops are at the heart of the city’s transit network.
As many as 14 people were killed, allegedly including the suspected bomber, named as Kyrgyzstan-born Akbarzhon Dzhalilov.
Why was Putin in the Russian city and was it a terrorist attack?
President Vladimir Putin was in St Petersburg for a meeting with Belorussian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who is a key ally.
He was pictured laying flowers at the scene of the blast in his home city.
Russia has been the target of attacks by Chechen militants in past years.
Chechen rebel leaders have frequently threatened further attacks.
At least 38 people were killed in 2010 when two female suicide bombers detonated bombs on packed Moscow metro trains.
Over 330 people, half of them children, were killed in 2004 when police stormed a school in southern Russia after a hostage taking by Islamist militants.
In 2002, 120 hostages were killed when police stormed a Moscow theatre to end another hostage taking.
Putin, as prime minister, launched a 1999 campaign to crush a separatist government in the muslim southern region of Chechnya, and as president continued a hard line in suppressing rebellion.
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