hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Second suicide bomb in Volgograd kills 14 but Putin stays silent
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Second suicide bomb in Volgograd kills 14 but Putin stays silent
Volgograd - A second suicide bomber has struck in the Russian city of Volgograd killing at least 14 people Monday. AP reports from Moscow that the blast tore through an electric bus during the morning rush hour.
Officials believe that the same organization was responsible for the bombing and a similar one at a train station Sunday, which killed at least 17 people. Following the first bombing Russian President Vladimir Putin issued orders to security forces to "take all necessary measures.” Other than that he has remained silent and many are questioning why he has not addressed the Russian people. Bloomberg notes that Putin is known for his slow response to events in Russia but questions why, when the Sochi Olympics are only weeks away. What is known is that Putin has ordered Russia's counter-terrorism agency to step up security. Bomb attacks in the Volgograd area are not unknown. In fact they are not rare. Blooomberg in providing background to the suicide bombings reports:
"Volgograd has seen a number of terrorist attacks since the 1990's, most recently in October, when a woman named Naida Asiyalova blew up a bus, killing herself and seven others. Later, the authorities said they had killed the mastermind of that attack, Murad Kasumov. Both perpetrators were from troubled Dagestan.
The mainly Muslim North Caucasus regions of Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya supply most of the fanatical suicide bombers, many of them women, who have launched terrorist attacks in Russia over the years. Volgograd, a city of 1 million, is about 400 miles from these regions and accessible by train or road. It is also an easy target, because uncommonly vicious infighting between local businessmen and politicians make for a weak local government."This has led to an almost mundane approach by the Russian authorities to terror attacks but now with the Sochi games only weeks away it is causing a re-think. International eyes are focusing on Russia and will view any such attacks as a threat to the safety and security of the games, its sports men and women and visitors. Putin will need to act fast and that must surely include addressing the Russian people, and in effect the world? Investigators into Monday's suicide attack have already called the event an "act of terror". They have identified the perpetrator as male. Sky News reports: "It is now possible to preliminarily say that the explosive device was set off by a suicide bomber - a man whose body fragments have been collected and sent for genetic testing." The bomb contained 4kg of TNT equivalent explosive and was similar to the one used at the Volgograd train station. At least 17 people died in Sunday's attack and 37 sustained injuries. Eight of the injured are reportedly in critical condition. This includes a 9-year-old girl. Sunday's blast occurred inside a train station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, Sunday at around 12:45 p.m. local time. Early reports said that a female bomber detonated her explosives at the entrance to the station, close to a metal detector. Pundits are now predicting a wave of terrorist attacks on transport in Russia which will threaten the safety of visitors to the Sochi games.
hollywoodtone.blogspot.com Second suicide bomb in Volgograd kills 14 but Putin stays silent