25 KILLED IN A RAIL BOMBING NEAR BOLOGOYE, RUSSIA
The derailment of an express train, on Friday 11/27/2009 at about 21:40, which killed at least 25 people and injured over 100, out of the 600 passengers, was, eventually, a terror attack, authorities said, on Saturday 11/28/2009.
The Nevsky Express, carrying hundreds of passengers from Moscow to St Petersburg, one of Russia’s busiest rail links, went off the tracks near Bologoye in the Tver province, about 350 km North west of Moscow. Four carriages came off the rails.
Indeed, few hours later the head of the Russian security Service – FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, reported to the President Dmitry Medvedev that a 7 kilo bomb, detonated by remote control, derailed the train. News agencies cited unidentified officials as saying a 1-metre crater was found at the site of the wreck. A second bomb, probably meant to harm the rescue workers, went of 17 hours after the initial attack. No body was hurt by the second explosion.
On 08/13/2007, a bomb on the same line derailed the same Nevsky Express, injuring nearly 60 passengers. Russian prosecutors said they believed ex-soldier Pavel Kosolapov, a former associate of the late Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev, was the mastermind behind that blast. Pavel Kosolapov, an expert-blaster and Shamil Basaev’s team-mate, is considered to be involved in the bloodiest explosions committed in Russia. He is still at large. Pavel Kosolapov himself is, probably, operating nowadays (11/2009) with Doku Umarov’s group.
Defendants Maksharip Khidriev and Salambek Dzakhkiev, from the Russian Republic of Ingushetia in the North Caucasus, are charged, nowadays, in Novgorod, Northern Russia, with placing and detonating an explosive device aboard the Nevsky Express train going from Moscow to St. Petersburg on 08/13/2007.
* Indeed, On Wednesday 12/02/2009, The website www.Kavkazcenter.com said the Bologoye attack was carried out by the “Caucasian Mujahadeen” on the orders of its leader, Doku Umarov..
* On 01/20/2011 The Investigation Committee issued the final charges against the defendants in the Nevsky Express blast case. The Investigation Committee spokesman noted that the detectives “have found the gangs rampaging in the Republic of Ingushetia involved in the train blast.” In March 2010 seven gunmen, including the warlord Alexander Tikhomirov (Said Buryatsky), were destroyed (killed). Ten people, namely Zelimkhan Aushev and nine Kartoyev relatives, were detained. At the request of the prosecutor they were arrested (see also – Report 08.16.11 ).
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