Russian to fight terrorism without hesitation

RUSSIA: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday that his country will fight against terrorism without hesitation and to the end, local media reported.

Medvedev, who has ordered to beef up security on transport all over the country, said Russia will continue to fight terrorism.

“We will continue the operation against terrorists without hesitation and to the end,” he told Russian media at an urgent meeting for the metro explosions.

“It is difficult to prevent such terrorist attacks and to provide security on transport,” the President said. “It is necessary to tighten what we do, to look at the problem on a national scale, not only relating to a certain populated area but on a national scale. Obviously, what we have done before is not enough.”

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also expressed the government’s resolve in eradicating terrorism, saying the groups behind the twin bombings will be caught and destroyed.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said a North Caucasus terrorist group may involved in the blasts.

“According to preliminary information, these terrorist acts were committed by terrorist groups related to the North Caucasus Region. We’ll consider it as the basic version because the bodies of two female suicide bombers who were residing in the North Caucasus have been found (at the explosion sites),” FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said. He said the explosive device used in Lubyanka station was equivalent to 4 kg of TNT, while the Cultural Park station blast was equivalent to 1.5 to 2 kg of TNT.

The first blast occurred in the busy central Lubyanka station, just beneath the FSB headquarter and 0.5 km from the Kremlin.

A police source earlier told the RIA Novosti news agency that an inspection of the scene indicated that the bomb was detonated at a height of 100-200 centimeters, which would “apparently be attached to the waist of a female suicide bomber.”

Closed circuit TV showed that two other women accompanied the suicide bombers onto the metro, reported Russia Today TV station.

Russia’s restive North Caucasus republics, particularly Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have been plagued by violence.

Medvedev highlighted security and economic problems in the mainly Muslim region late last year and ordered measures to end militant violence. At least two notorious militant leaders were killed by Russian special force recently. Moscow, Tuesday, Xinhua