Chechen rebels claim Russian train bombing

Chechen Islamist rebels claimed responsibility on Wednesday for a bombing that derailed a Russian express train killing 26 people, according to a statement posted on a rebel website.

"This operation was prepared and executed along with other acts of sabotage, planned from the start of this year and successfully carried out against a set of strategically important sites in Russia, on the orders of Caucasus Emir Dokku Umarov," said the statement on the website KavkazCenter.com.

 This operation was prepared and executed along with other acts of sabotage, planned from the start of this year and successfully carried out against a set of strategically important sites in Russia, on the orders of Caucasus Emir Dokku Umarov 

Rebel statement

Umarov is Russia's most wanted guerrilla leader and leads an insurgency which aims to free the mainly Muslim North Caucasus from Moscow's rule.

Friday's attack against the luxury Nevsky Express train running between Moscow and St Petersburg was part of a campaign of sabotage against strategic economic targets, the letter added.

"These acts of sabotage will continue for as long as those occupying the Caucasus do not stop their policy of killing ordinary Muslims," the letter added.

Friday's bombing was the worst terror attack in Russia outside the North Caucasus in five years. It raised fears of a new wave of attacks in major Russian cities.

The statement on KavkazCenter.com, a website that has previously been used as a mouthpiece for Chechen rebels, said the train "was mainly used by the ruling bureaucrats of Russia."

At least two government officials were killed in the train bombing, and the chief of Russia's Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, was injured by a remote-controlled bomb blast when he arrived at the scene the next day.

There was no immediate way to verify the claim of responsibility.

Chechen rebels have previously issued other claims that turned out to be bogus, including one for an August disaster at a Siberian hydro-electric power plant that was later shown to have been caused by a technical fault.