Russia Metro Attack – On the 03 Apr 17 at approximately 1440 hrs local an explosive device detonated on a St Petersburg train. Fourteen people were fatally wounded with a further forty-nine more wounded. The blast occurred when the train departed from Sennaya Ploshchad station. First reactions said there were two separate explosions. The Russian Prosecutors office called the attack a ‘terrorist act’, this was later retracted claiming it was too early to say. Later the Russian Prime Minister called the St Petersburg explosion a terrorist attack. A second device disguised as a fire extinguisher was discovered at Ploshchad Vosstaniya. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee said that a home-made explosive device had been found and been disabled. It was initially believed that the attacks were carried out by two people, this was later cancelled and later announced that one person had been responsible for both devices. At one point a report said that a male had left a briefcase in a carriage before moving to another, this was later to proven incorrect. Reports on the 04 Apr 17 stated that one person was responsible for both devices and had destroyed himself in the second blast as body parts were found in the carriage. The bomber was thought to be Akbarzhon Jalilov who was born in Kyrgyz city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan in 1995 and had obtained Russian citizenship. The reason behind the attack is not yet known nor is the motivation and association to any group known. 361 COMMENT: No doubt Da’esh will claim this attack as it did with the 22 Mar 17 London terrorist attack. But The St Petersburg attack was well planned and executed unlike the London Lone Wolf attack. The bomber places the first device on the Ploshchad Vosstaniya train before exiting that train and getting on the Sennaya Ploshchad train. The bomber knew exactly what he was doing. We do not know if the second device had a timer or where and when it was intended to detonate. During the time between placing of the device and detonating the second device he was rationally thinking because had he thought about what he was doing he would have not carried out the detonation of the second device. Although no reason for the attack is given Kyrgyzstan is populated with over 80% of Sunni Muslims so it is possible he may have been radicalised. In one open source a friend of Jalilov, Ali Matkarimov, said that he did not even say his prayers when they worked together. It is possible that this is a Lone Wolf attack and not affiliated to any particular group. It is possible, like many, that he has been radicalised on-line but someone must have assisted with the construction of the explosive devices. As mentioned one was placed inside a fire extinguisher so where did this information and idea originate from? Also how did it get onto the train without anyone noticing? The construction of a suicide vest or belt would have to be made delicately otherwise he would run the risk of a premature explosion so it possible that he was assisted with that also. In the past Da’esh and the Chechens have been blamed for attacks in Russia Jalilov may have carried out the attacks in retaliation for the attacks against Da’esh in Syria and Iraq. On the other hand with Chechnya being closer and contributed fighters to the Da’esh cause he may have fallen under their influence. At the moment there is still a lot of uncertainty about the reason and why the attack happened. Further information will be reported in open source material as time goes on. COMMENT ENDS
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