Moscow, Aug. 2: At least three people were killed and 21 others injured after a homemade explosive device exploded outside an Italian restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening. The explosion occurred at around 8:00 p.m. local time in Kudrinskaya Square, near the city centre, the BBC reported.
Russia’s National Anti Terrorist Committee (NAK) said a woman carrying the explosive device attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. The bomb detonated moments later, killing the woman, the security guard and a restaurant visitor, the committee said.
The restaurant, housed inside one of Moscow’s iconic Stalin era skyscrapers, was hosting a private event at the time of the blast. Authorities have not disclosed the guest list or identified the intended target of the attack.
Witnesses said they saw several injured people being evacuated from the scene covered in blood.
Initial reports suggested the explosion occurred inside the restaurant’s kitchen. However, the restaurant later clarified that the blast took place outside the building.
Police briefly closed roads around Kudrinskaya Square after the explosion, while a cycling event scheduled nearby was cancelled.
Video released by Russia’s state-run RIA news agency showed heavily armed security personnel guarding the cordoned off area.
Several senior Russian military officials have been assassinated in and around Moscow in recent years, with Russian authorities blaming Ukraine for those attacks.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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