Russia's state investigative committee says it has arrested six Central Asian men in St. Petersburg on suspicion of aiding terrorist activity, two days after a deadly attack on a crowded subway train in that city.
The group is accused of recruiting other men from Central Asian republics to join Islamic State and other extremist groups since 2015. But the committee issued a statement saying no evidence has been uncovered linking the group to the bombing that killed 14 people and left dozens more injured.
Russian investigators have identified 22-year-old Kyrgyz-born Akbarzhon Dzhalilov as the suicide bomber who carried out the attack.
World leaders from China to Europe to Brazil expressed their condolences over the tragedy. U.S. President Donald Trump phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin and offered full support in responding to the attack.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the global outpouring Russia received reflected a common understanding of the need to join efforts to fight terrorism instead of trying, according to him, to “use extremists to reach narrow geopolitical goals.”
The attack has left St. Petersburg residents on edge.
“I think the atmosphere in the city is nervous,” said resident Anastasia. “People walk and they do not understand what is happening. The public transport is too busy and is not coping. It is scary for us.”
Russia is holding three days of mourning for those killed. President Putin overnight laid flowers near the bombing cite in St. Petersburg in tribute. Putin was in the city when the bombing occurred, the timing of which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called “food for thought.”
俄罗斯国家调查委员会称，已逮捕6名涉嫌在圣彼得堡帮助恐怖分子活动的中亚男子。两天前，这座城市一个拥挤的地铁站发生了爆炸袭击，多人死伤。
这6人被控自2015年起，从中亚国家招募男性加入“伊斯兰国”及其它极端组织。但是调查委员会发布声明称，尚无证据表明这些人与造成14人死亡、数十人受伤的圣彼得堡爆炸案有关。
俄调查人员认定，在吉尔吉斯斯坦出生的22岁男子阿尔巴伦·扎利罗夫发动了这次自杀式炸弹袭击。
中国、欧洲以及巴西等国家领导人对这次悲剧表示哀悼。美国总统川普致电俄罗斯总统普京，表示美国愿意尽力帮助。
俄罗斯外交部长拉夫罗夫说，俄罗斯这次得到的广泛支持显示，世界各国都意识到，应该联手对抗恐怖主义，而不是试图“利用极端分子来达成狭隘的地缘政治目标。”
这次袭击令圣彼得堡的居民紧张不安。
当地区民阿纳斯塔西娅说：“这个城市的氛围很紧张。人们要靠步行，不清楚正在发生什么事。公共交通疲于应对。我们感到恐惧。”
俄罗斯正在为遇难者举行为期3天的哀悼。俄罗斯总统普京连夜赴圣彼得堡的爆炸地点附近，献花吊唁。爆炸发生时，普京当时就在城中。克里姆林宫发言人迪米特里·佩斯科夫称，爆炸时机“引人深思”。