Russia - 31 dead, 100s injured by suicide bomb at Moscow airport

Kat said:

Prayers for the victims that were killed or injured. Prayers for their families and friends.

I've no words for terrorists. Period. (well that can be posted here)

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Russia's security agencies received a warning ahead of today's blast of a possible attack on a Moscow airport, news agencies reported this afternoon.

"We received information that in one of Moscow's airports a terrorist attack could possibly take place," a law enforcement source told RIA Novosti. The source said police had been searching for three suspects.

The three apparently managed to penetrate the territorysurrounding the airport, with the suicide operation possibly carried out by one of them. The other two monitored the explosion and then left, the official suggested. The suicide bomber appears to have got into the building unchallenged, taken the lift up to the second floor and then blown himself up in the general access area of the international arrivals zone, he added.

Russian opposition bloggers immediately demanded to know why security measures had not been enhanced at airports in response to the tip-off. Oleg Kozlovsky, an opposition activist, tweeted: "If the FSB [Russian's domestic anti-terrorism agency] knew about the warning a week ago, why didn't they check passengers arriving at airports?"

Another source told the Interfax: "According to intelligence, three men may have been involved in organizing the explosion, men who have been living in the region of the [Russian] capital for some time. They have been put on the wanted list." He said the three men were believed to be militants from Russia's North Caucasus. They allegedly had connections to two women, one of whom blew herself up at a range practice club in Moscow on 31 December and the other was arrested in Volgograd, Russia, later.

"It can't be ruled out that one of the three blew himself up at Domodedovo," the source said.

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More than 100 people were injured - 20 of them critically - by the blast, which reports suggest was the work of a suicide bomber.

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According to eyewitnesses quoted by Russian TV's Vesti news programme, before detonating the explosives the bomber shouted: "I'll kill you all!"

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Briton Mark Green, who was on a British Airways flight that landed at the airport before the explosion, told BBC News there were thousands of people in the baggage collection area, baggage hall and queue for immigration at the time of the blast.

"We were walking out through the exit of the arrivals hall towards the car, and there was this almighty explosion, a huge bang... my colleague and I looked at each other and said 'Christ that sounds like a car bomb or something,' because the noise was, literally, it shook you," Mr Green told BBC News.

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mgardner said:

This is so sad. Can I say I hate terrorists, regardless of race, creed, or color? I sure hope one of the 3 blew himself up -- deserves him right. Hope the other 2 get hit by a bus.

Prayers to all the victims of this senseless act!

Mel

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* 'It was a terror attack,' confirms President Medvedev

* Two foreigners among the injured according to Russian agency Interfax

* Suspected suicide bomber was an 'Arab-looking man, aged 30-35' - Interfax

* Italian and French nationals among casualities

* British Airways flight destined for Moscow turned around

* Officials searching for three male suspects

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