 New facts that emerged during the investigation into a blast that took place last night [2 November] in Makhachkala have revealed it was a failed terrorist attack. Aslanbek Askhabov, who was killed by the blast in a car park, turned out to be a separatist leader, the so-called emir of Chechnya's Gudermesskiy District. He was identified by his remains and his passport that was almost completely burnt. Specialists of the Dagestani Interior Ministry's crime and analysis directorate found out that an explosive device which was in the car in the car park went off spontaneously. The force of the explosion was equivalent to 20-25 kg of TNT. The type of the explosive used in the home-made bomb has not been established yet. According to police services the car bomb was equipped to commit a terrorist attack in Makhachkala during the November holidays [7-8 November]. Two people were injured by the blast, one of them a 10-year-old child. About 20 vehicles were burnt out. |