‘Suicide Bomber’ to Blame for St. Petersburg Terror Attack

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The Kyrgyz Foreign Minister said on Tuesday a “suicide bomber” was definitely to blame for the terrorist attack that struck at St. Petersburg’s subway, killing 14 and injuring more than 50.

Islamic? Tied to ISIS?

Authorities aren’t yet saying.

Investigators held back on blaming Islam — even though the man named as the suspect hailed from a section of country known as a breeding ground for jihadists.

From CNN:

“Kyrgyz authorities had earlier identified Akbarjon Djalilov, a Russian national born in Kyrgyzstan, as a suspect in the blast that ripped through a train in Russia’s second city on Monday afternoon.

“The Russian health ministry raised the number of dead from 11 to 14, although it was unclear whether that included the attacker. Four of the dozens of people injured are in critical condition, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said, according to TASS.

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“Russians laid flowers and tributes at memorials and a three-day period of mourning has begun.”

Reuters, meanwhile, is reporting Russia has been on high alert for terror attacks for some time, due to Moscow-ordered air strikes over Syria to take out rebels fighting for the ouster of Vladimir Putin-friend Bashar Assad.

From Reuters:

“The Islamic State group has repeatedly threatened revenge attacks.

“The bombing of a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve that killed 39 people involved a suspect from the same area of central Asia. He said he had been acting under the direction of Islamic State militants in Syria.

“If it is confirmed that the metro bomber was linked to radical Islamists, some sections of Russian society could see it as proof that Moscow’s decision to intervene in Syria has made civilians into targets.”