Explosion rips through Uzbek market, killing at least two

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 29, 2004

Explosion rips through Uzbek market, killing at least two

An explosion ripped through the Uzbek capital Tashkent on Monday, killing at least two people, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. The Uzbek Foreign Ministry blamed terrorists.

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An explosion ripped through the Uzbek capital Tashkent on Monday, killing at least two people, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. The Uzbek Foreign Ministry blamed terrorists.

Ministry spokesman Ilkhom Zakirov said that there were "several terrorist acts," arrests had been made and an investigation was underway. He confirmed that there were casualties but could not give further details.

At least one of the blasts occurred around 9 a.m. local time at the Chorsu market in the Old City, said Alimzhon Turdakulov, spokesman for the National Security Service. Russia's Echo of Moscow radio, citing the RIA-Novosti news agency, said several people had been killed.

Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency reported that initial information indicated a suicide bomber had blown herself up. It said that its correspondent had witnessed the explosion and reported that people had been thrown several yards by the blast.

Police and intelligence agents closed off the sprawling market and vans with investigators were massed in front of the "Children's World" store, where the blast occurred. There was no visible sign of an explosion from afar.

The market would normally be filled with thousands of people selling everything from goat meat to clothing to carpets. On Monday, however, only cleaning crews could be seen. No shoppers or vendors were visible.

Officials at the Interior Ministry refused comment on the attack. President Islam Karimov was scheduled to make a televised address to the nation about the attack later Monday.

Zakirov, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, tied the explosions to the recent train bombings in Madrid and with continuing turbulence in neighboring Afghanistan.

A series of near-simultaneous bombings in Tashkent in February 1999 were blamed on the terrorist group Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which has been linked to the al-Qaeda terror network. Uzbek authorities said the blasts, which killed 16 people, were an attempt to assassinate Karimov.

Source: agencies

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