Suspected Terrorist Explosion in Russian Airport Kills at Least 35

Russia's Domodedovo Airport, prior to attacks
Source: www.artdiamondblog.com

An explosion in the International Arrivals terminal of Moscow's Domodedovo Airport has killed at least 35 people and injured up to 140 people.  It is suspected to have been caused by a suicide bomber in the public area near the baggage carousels.

Russia has struggled in the past few years to deal with several attacks, mostly linked to the unrest in the Chechen region.  Recently, these attacks have taken the form of bombs detonated in major transportation centers in Moscow, such as in the airport or in the underground.  The Chechen rebels have also been implicated in several hostage takings.

The situation in Chechnya gained visibility in the international community in 2004, when a group of 35 Chechen rebels took the parents, staff and students at a school in Beslan hostage.  After several explosions, a firefight with the Russian military and a fire in the school, 334 people were dead with over half that number being students.  The Russian authorities only managed to capture two of the rebels, although the suspect that the rest were among the deceased.

A timeline of attacks in Russia.