Belarus leader: Subway bomb suspects confess
A man mounts a Belarus flag with a mourning ribbon in central Minsk. The explosion at a busy metro station in the heart of the Belarussian capital near the headquarters of autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko stunned a city which has never seen attacks like those suffered in Russia. (April 12, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says two suspects have confessed in the fatal bombing of the subway system in the capital.
In a televised statement on Wednesday, Lukashenko said the suspects have confessed to the Monday bombing in Minsk that killed 12 people and wounded some 200 others.
The bomb exploded as people were coming off trains during the evening rush hour in the city’s main subway station.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — A Belarusian man was detained as a suspect in the subway bombing earlier this week that killed 12 people and wounded more than 200 others, officials said Wednesday.
Police detained two Belarusian men in connection with the bombing and one of them may have placed the bomb at the station, Deputy Prosecutor General Andrey Shved said. The two men come from the same town and know each other, he said.
“We can say with a high degree of certainty that one of those detained is a perpetrator,” Shved said.
The bomb exploded Monday as people were coming off trains during the evening rush hour.
CCTV footage showed a man leaving a bag in the Oktyabrskaya station in central Minsk and feeling around for something in his jacket pocket shortly before the explosion, Shved said.
Authorities have said the bomb was radio-controlled. There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast.
Belarus’ domestic security agency, which still goes under its Soviet-era name KGB, has suggested that the country’s opposition might have been behind the bombing. The Oktyabrskaya station is within 100 meters (110 yards) of the presidential administration building and the Palace of the Republic, a concert hall often used for government ceremonies.
Human rights activists said that prosecutors are summoning opposition activists across the country for interrogations in connection with the bombing.
Belarus observed a day of mourning for the victims Wednesday.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep 36: Champs crowned in lax and flag football On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg talks with Michael Sicoli and Tess Ferguson about county champs crowned in boys and girls lacrosse, and Jared Valuzzi reports on the Long Island flag football championship.
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