The St. Petersburg bombing could be a suicide attack

The bomb blast on Monday that killed 14 people might have been the work of a suicide bomber. Initially reports suggested that there were two separate blasts but investigation has revealed that there was one explosion and it took place between two stations. The incident occurred at 2.40 p.m. local time on Monday between the Sennaya Ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut stations.

The Russian investigators have identified the bomber as 22-year-old Akbarzhon Jalilov who was born in Kyrgyzstan. His body parts were found at the site of the explosion. The suspect had carried the bomb in a backpack.

The investigators added that his DNA was also found on another bomb that was planted at the nearby Ploshchad Vosstaniya subway station. The bomb squad was able to diffuse the bomb in time. This second bomb had 2.2 pounds of explosives and was filled with explosives. Law enforcement sources said the device had been hidden in a fire extinguisher.

Though no organization has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, experts theorize that Akbarzhon Jalilov could have affiliations with the ISIS or a Chechen separatist group. Russia has had troubles with both militant factions. In 2010 in a suicide bombing in Russian metro station by Chechen suicide bombers, 33 people lost their lives. Recently ISIS claimed responsibility when a Russian flight carrying 224 people was shot down over Sinai desert in Egypt.

The train driver Alexander Kaverin has been praised for his bravery and his decision to keep driving the train till it reached the next station as it made evacuation easier. “At that moment there was no question of fear. It was just a question of working, rolling up your sleeves,” he said. “I just acted according to instructions, because we have instructions worked out especially for such cases. We have had explosions before and I think these instructions are very clever, very correct.”