Putin vows revenge

MOSCOW (AP):

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed revenge yesterday for the suicide bombing that killed 35 people at a Moscow airport, a familiar tough-on-terrorism stance that has underpinned his power but also resulted in a rising number of deadly attacks in Russia.

Lax security was also blamed for Monday's explosion in the international arrivals area of Domodedovo Airport that injured 180 people, with President Dmitry Medvedev criticising police and managers at the airport, the largest of three that serve the capital.

NTV television showed a photograph of what it said was the detached head of the suspected bomber. Investigators have said that DNA testing will be necessary before the man, who appears to be in his 30s, can be identified.

Burst of flames

A two-second video of the blast itself, broadcast on state television and said to be from a closed-circuit TV camera, showed a burst of flames and passengers falling and fleeing as smoke filled the hall.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion has fallen on Islamist separatists from Chechnya or elsewhere in the restive Caucasus region who have been battling Russian authority for over 15 years.

Chechen insurgents have claimed responsibility for an array of attacks, including a double suicide bombing on Moscow's subway system last year that killed 40 people. They also have used Domodedovo Airport before, with two suicide bombers slipping through its security in 2004 to kill 90 people aboard flights that took off from there.