The 2003 Stavropol train bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred on 5 December 2003, in

Yessentuki Yessentuki ( rus, Ессентуки́, p=jɪsɪntʊˈkʲiˑ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located in the shadow of Mount Elbrus at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. The city serves as a railway ...

Stavropol Krai Stavropol Krai (russian: Ставропо́льский край, r=Stavropolsky kray, p=stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a Krais of Russia, krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, when an

explosion An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...

on a commuter train killed at least 46 people and injured over 170 more. A regional electric train in Stavropol Krai was commuting from

Kislovodsk Kislovodsk (russian: Кислово́дск, lit. ''sour waters''; ; krc, Ачысуу) is a spa city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, in the North Caucasus region of Russia which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. Population: History I ...

to Mineralnye Vody in Stavropol Krai, when a suicide bomber armed with

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

equivalent to an estimated worth of TNT detonated as the train departed from the station in Yessentuki. Responsibility for the attack was immediately pointed at Chechen terrorists, who had committed previous attacks on trains on the line shortly before, including one on September 3, 2003, killing 7 and injuring more than 80. Ibragim Israpilov, a former local official from Chechnya, was convicted in 2004 for organizing the September blast and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. He is sometimes erroneously reported as being behind the December 5 bombing. Another series of suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks in and around Chechnya and

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

also occurred in 2003, which added to suspicion. As of December 2009, there were no arrests or convictions for the Yessentuki attack.

References

21st-century mass murder in Russia Attacks in Russia in 2003 Mass murder in 2003 Rail transport in Stavropol Krai Terrorist incidents in Russia in 2003 Terrorist incidents of the Second Chechen War Suicide bombing in the Chechen wars Train bombings in Europe Railway accidents in 2003 Railway accidents and incidents in Russia Accidents and incidents involving Russian Railways December 2003 events in Russia {{Chechnya-stub

See also

References