Putin Vows Revenge on Terror Masterminds

After two female suicide bombers killed at least 38 people riding the Moscow metro as part of what authorities think is a “deadly new Chechen terror campaign,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed that the “terrorists will be destroyed.” Experts say the attacks could cause Putin to grab more executive power in the name of domestic security. The two metro stations were symbolically targeted for their proximity to Russia’s government offices, and the two women suicide bombers are believed to be “Black Widows,” women who lost male relatives in Chechnya’s separatist battles. There has been no official claim on the attacks yet, but the head of the FSB said the responsible parties were linked to a Muslim region in the north known for its insurgency problems. The bombs were strapped to the terrorists’ waists and blew bolts and small iron rods through the metro. President Barack Obama issued a statement condemning the bombings saying, “The American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violence—extremism and terrorist attacks that demonstrate disregard for human life” and European Union leaders and the U.N. “expressed outrage.”