''Black widow'' suspected in Russia''s suicide blast

Vinay Shukla

Moscow, Jan 25 (PTI) A suspected ''black widow'' is saidto be behind the suicide blast in Russia''s busiest DomodedovoInternational Airport in which at least 35 were killed and 178injured, reports said today.

One of the eyewitnesses questioned by theinvestigators said he had seen how the hand baggage of a womandressed in black exploded, according to Interfax.

"The eyewitness declared that the young woman wasdressed in black and the explosives were in the bag orsuitcase on the floor next to her," a source was quoted assaying by the agency.

It said the security agencies were aware of thepossible terror attacks, and were looking for ''Black Widows''of the slain militants from the Caucasus, who had carried outall suicide attacks in past, including twin blasts inMoscow metro stations in March 2010.

"Security agencies were misguided as Domodedovo attackwas carried out by men," Interfax quoted another source in thesecret services.

Insufficient security measures in Moscow''s Domodedovoairport are to blame for yesterday''s deadly blast, which leftdozens dead, a spokesman for Russia''s national anti-terrorismcommittee (NAC) said today.

"Security measures in the Domodedovo airport wereinsufficient, otherwise the terrorist attack would have nevertaken place," Nikolai Sintsov told the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

According to state-run Rossiya 24 news channel thepolice are also looking for four men suspected of involvementin yesterday''s blast in the international arrival lounge ofthe airport.

"They were spotted on the CCTV footage," the TV said.

The absence of security check at the InternationalArrival''s gate was used by the alleged terrorists to sneak inwith explosives, the TV channel reported.

At least 35 people were killed and over 178 injured inthe attack at the airport.

RIA Novosti had said there was at least one suicidebomber with explosives with five kilo TNT equivalent.

Investigation Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said thepower of the blast was between 5-10 kg equivalent of TNT.

The bomb went off at 1902 IST in the baggage claimarea of the international arrival sector yesterday, Itar-Tasshad quoted Tatyana Morozova of the Russian investigationcommittee as saying.

Interfax did not rule out that the explosives were ina suitcase. .