RTThu, 06 Apr 2017 18:02 UTC
© Sergey Pivovarov / SputnikAt the site of the explosion near the school in Rostov-on-Don.
One person has been injured in an explosion in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, police sources told the Russian media. The blast reportedly took place near a school.
The explosive device detonated when a man picked it up off the ground.The object was disguised as a flashlight, TASS reported, citing Russian National Guard sources.
"A homeless man found a package and decided to check its contents, which included a flashlight," a National Guard official said, according to the agency. When the man tried to switch the flashlight on, it exploded. The man had his hand blown off, the official added.
When asked for comment by RT, the National Guard's press service denied giving any official comments to TASS, saying the National Guard had taken no part in responding to the incident.
Other sources cited by Russian media suggest the man was either a maintenance worker or a security guard.
The city's website cited local emergency services, which identified the victim as 46-year-old Dmitry Kolesnik, a Rostov resident.
"I heard a clap. I immediately ran outside and saw a man covered in blood on the ground. I called an ambulance," a local witness said, as quoted on the city's website.
The school has canceled classes and the area has been cordoned off, a security source told RIA.
Police will search local schools for suspicious objects, TASS cited a source in the mayor's office as saying.
Comment: The suspect who left the explosive device was caught on camera:
An expert on Islamic terrorism in Russia offered the following commentary to
Fort Russ:
Today's explosion in Rostov is a tiny episode in the larger terrorist war against Russia. It must be considered in the context of the confrontation between Russia and the West. In particular, American politicians are accusing Russia of aggression in the Middle East and the whole West's resources to confront Russia in Europe.
Let us recall that several resonant acts of terrorism have occurred in Russia in a very brief span of time lately. Islamist Kazakh immigrants attacked policemen in Astrakhan (a regional center in South Russia), killing two. A bit earlier, Islamists attacked a unit of the Russian National Guard in Chechnya, killing 6 serviceman. Finally, there was the explosion in Saint Petersburg organized by a suicide terrorist from Kyrgyzstan, specifically the city of Osh where the terrorist group Hizb ut-Tahrir has strong positions.
These terrorist attacks (there is no information on the explosion in Rostov yet, so we'll exclude it from the list) were organized by Islamists. ISIS even took the responsibility for the explosion in Chechnya. But it is not obvious that the ones ultimately behind, ordering these attacks are Islamists.
The fact that terrorist activity is concentrating in Russia and terrorist attacks (including those of Islamist sleeper cells) are taking place in a brief span of time speaks to the fact that they have one boss and organizer. The West is most likely the one ordering this.
Another side working on destabilizing Russia is the "non-systemic opposition" headed by Navalny organizing rallies. These are different methods but similar end goals in the "work" of Islamists and the liberal opposition, which boil down to overthrowing the existing order.
President Putin has made Russia an independent power center and the Western elites do not like this. Therefore, these attempts at destabilizing Russia in different ways (not only by terrorist and political means, but also economic) will continue and intensify.
Comment: The suspect who left the explosive device was caught on camera: