Kyrgyzstan authorities identify suspect in Russia subway bombing

The agency described the suspect as a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen.

ByABC News
April 4, 2017, 4:50 AM

— -- The suspect in a blast that killed 14 and injured more than 40 in a St. Petersburg, Russia, subway station on Monday has been identified by authorities as a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen, a senior intelligence official confirms to ABC News.

GKNB security service has identified the suspected attacker as Akbarjon Djalilov, a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen born in his early 20s, according to Rahat Sulaimanov, a senior Kyrgyz intelligence official.

"Kyrgyz GKNB and Russian FSB work very closely, but in this case, all other info will come out of Moscow, as Djalilov is a Russian citizen only," Sulaimanov said.

He said he could not specify if the attack was a suicide bombing.

"Even though the suspect lived in Russia in recent years, he probably still has plenty of relatives in Osh," Sulaimanov added, referring to the suspect's hometown in Kyrgyzstan.

Sulaimanov would not share any pictures of the suspect, but he noted that they were available on online.

Investigators have not released many details about the bombing, but a Kremlin spokesperson told Russia's state-run news agency, TASS, that investigators had not confirmed that the attack was a suicide bombing.

World leaders, including President Donald Trump, rallied behind Russia on Monday to condemn the attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said bombing showed the need for joint efforts against global terrorism.

"This tragedy in St. Petersburg once again shows the importance of stepping up joint efforts to combat this evil," Lavrov said, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

The blast, which took place at 2:40 p.m. local time, happened between the Sennaya Ploshad station and the Technological Institute station.

Russia's health minister on Tuesday revised the death toll up to 14 from 11 and said 49 people were still hospitalized as a result of the blast.

Authorities in Russia declared three days of mourning beginning Tuesday.

ABC News' Dada Jovanovic and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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