St. Petersburg Bomber Suspected Islamist
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Conatus News/Uncommon Ground Media Inc.
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/04/10
According to recent reports, the metro bombing in Russia is suspected to have been done by Akbarzhon Jalilov.
The St. Petersburg bombing suspect is reported to have been an Islamist who developed an interest in Islam and may have “travelled to Syria before” the attack. Former colleagues of the bombing suspect stated that he disappeared after a trip to Turkey.
The St. Petersburg Metro bombing recently resulted in the death of 14 people. Jalilov was 22. He travelled to Turkey in 2015. The movements of the suspected terrorist are unknown at this point in time. In that, he seems to have disappeared between 2015 and 2017.
However, the colleagues are not sure if for sure the terrorist suspect travelled to the war-torn nation of Syria. Radical Islamists have used Turkey as a route for parts of Syria, which are controlled by ISIS.
The terror suspect was born in 1985 and we grew up in Kyrgyzstan. It was a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet Republic in Central Asia that he grew up, which is called Osh. The man is suspected to be the one who exploded himself inside of the St. Petersburg Metro station that killed those 14 people.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a visit to the St. Petersburg Metro station. There has been no claim to responsibility for the attack by any organisation, terrorist or otherwise, at this point in time.
By implication, this might be a ‘Lone Wolf’ phenomenon rather than an organised targeted terrorist attack from a larger more well-known group. The man worked low paid occupations from 2011 onward.
One of Jalilov’s former colleagues described him as “an even-tempered man who didn’t drink or curse when they worked together.” In that, there did not seem to be signs of extremism of this man, or in his thoughts or behaviour.
In 2014, he did develop an interest in Islam and begin to pray, “going to the mosque, reading the Koran and growing a beard.” It is suspected that his trip to Turkey in November, 2015 was to join his uncle.
However, the uncle stated that the man left in September, 2015 to return to Osh where he grew up. The terror suspect showed up in Osh in February, 2017. He had rented an apartment at the time of the previous week’s attack.
The Russian officials have declined to comment on the travel history of the terrorist suspect.
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