A man, carrying explosive device, was killed after the device went off outside the Abkhaz state television station in Sokhumi on Monday morning, officials in the breakaway region said.
Later on Monday afternoon, a senior Abkhaz official said that the explosive device was intended for an attack against unspecified Abkhaz politician, but it apparently went off accidentally earlier than intended when a perpetrator was preparing to set it off.
Explosion occurred at about 7am local time on Monday in a park, which is adjacent to and part of the Abkhaz state television’s premises in the breakaway region’s capital.
Abkhaz interior minister, Aslan Kobakhia, said on Monday morning the man, aged between 35 and 40, killed in the explosion, was himself carrying a shrapnel-filled explosive device.
Investigation was opened under the clauses of criminal code, which deal with terrorism and illegal possession of explosives, Ruslan Tirkba, chief prosecutor of Sokhumi, told Apsnipress news agency.
Abkhaz leader, Raul Khajimba, who met leadership of the law enforcement agencies, ordered to step up security measures at public places, his press office reported.
Russian news agencies, Interfax and Sputnik-Abkhazia, reported earlier on Monday quoting secretary of the Abkhaz national security council, Mohamed Kilba, that the man, carrying explosive, was not a resident of Abkhazia. He also said that the shrapnel-filled explosive device was indicating that it was apparently aimed at setting it off at a public place to cause casualties and the television station was most likely not the target.
Interfax news agency reported also earlier on Monday, quoting unnamed source from the Abkhaz law enforcement agencies: “According to one of the versions, he was putting an explosive device into a combat mode for carrying out a terrorist act in one of the public places in the Abkhaz capital, but he died on the territory of the Abkhaz state television after accidentally detonating the device.”
Late on Monday afternoon Russian news agency Tass, as well as Sputnik-Abkhazia news agency, reported quoting secretary of the Abkhaz national security council, Mohamed Kilba, that the man, who died as a result of explosion, was from Russia; later reports said that the man was identified as a resident of Krasnodar region in southern Russia.
“It has been established that he arrived in [Abkhazia] on October 2. Terrorist act, he was going to carry out, was aimed at an Abkhaz politician,” Kilba said without identifying the politician.
He also said that the man previously visited Abkhazia in summer, “apparently for reconnaissance purposes.” According to Kilba, the Russian side was also involved in the investigation.
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