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| A lone policeman calls for help over the body of a man who went on a bomb and stabbing rampage in Surgut, Russia |
Only 24 hours after the Muslim stabbing attack in Turku, Finland, there was another Muslim stabbing incident in a far-north European city.
In Surgut, Russia, a man detonated a molotov-cocktail-like device in a shopping mall and then went on a stabbing spree before being shot dead by police. Eight people were injured, including two who are "fighting for their lives."
The attacker is believed to be a Muslim from the Russian republic of Dagestan. ISIS allegedly took credit for the attack, though Russian authorities are skeptical of the link.
Surgut is a city of approximately 350,000 located in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of Siberia. Ironically, the administrative area is roughly the size of Finland and its latitude of 61 degrees North is almost precisely that of Turku.
Russia has a Muslim population of at least 12%, many of them concentrated in a few republics in the Caucasus. Mahound's Paradise has no idea what the figure is for the proportion of Muslims in Surgut or west-central Siberia.
From the Daily Mail (the CCTV video is accessible on the site):
CCTV ‘shows Russian knifeman planting and igniting explosive device in shopping mall moments before going on a stabbing spree which killed eight’
- Siberian knifeman, was named locally as 19-year-old Artur Gadzhiev
- He is believed to be from Dagestan, a strongly Muslim region of Russia
- He was shot dead by armed police in a busy street in Surgut, central Russia
- At least two people fighting for their lives while another five were hospitalised
- New video has emerged appearing to show him igniting device in shopping mall
A new video of the Russian teenage knifeman, appearing to plant and ignite an explosive device in a shopping mall before going on a stabbing spree, has emerged today.
The footage showing an explosion in Surgut shopping mall will raise fears that the incident was a terrorist attack, as the Islamic State has claimed.
The man, believed to be 19-year-old Artur Gadzhiev is shown clearly from a CCTV camera. He is also accused of stabbing at least eight people in city streets.
An explosion is seen on the footage, matching witness statements about the incident.
Russian officials on Saturday gave minimal details about the attack in the Siberian oil city, and initially played down a terrorism incident.
The attacker, named locally as Gadzhiev, was shot dead by police in a busy main street in Surgut, central Russia, at about 11.20am local time.
He is believed to be from Dagestan, a strongly Muslim region of Russia in the Caucasus.
Gadzhiev's father Lametulakh was reported to be registered with Russian police as an 'extremist' and 'supporter' of radical Islam.
Shocking CCTV shows people fleeing for their lives as the attacker rampaged outside shops in the city.
Footage shows him running by a pavilion and throwing something away before he was shot dead.
At least two people are fighting for their lives, while another five were hospitalised in the stabbing spree, authorities said.
However witnesses claimed that the number of victims could be much higher.
The attacker was originally named as Bobichel Abdurakhmanov but his 'real name' was later reported by Mash, a media seen as close to law enforcement sources, and quickly reported by mainstream Russian news sources, including state media.
There was no immediate separate confirmation from the authorities. Gadzhiev was from Khasavyurt town, and it was unclear why he was in Surgut.
He was reported to be a supporter of Zenit St Petersburg and Manchester United football clubs.
His behaviour was sometimes described as 'strange' but he was not registered as a person with 'mental problems', according to unidentified locals.
Earlier the Russian Investigative Committee said it was looking into 'his possible psychiatric disorders'.
But local news agency, Surgut Inter Novosti, suggested the violent attack was larger than the authorities had initially revealed.
'According to witnesses, unknown people threw a Molotov cocktail bottle inside 'Severny' shop, then they attacked a woman with an axe near a cash machine.
'More than 10 people with injuries have been taken into emergency care.'
But there was no immediate official confirmation of this claim.
The knifeman 'carried out attacks on passers-by, causing stab wounds to eight,' Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes said.
The spokesman added that armed police 'liquidated' the attacker.
Nobody was killed in the assault but victims needed immediate medical treatment, said officers.
At least two of the victims were fighting for their lives while five more were in a stable condition, the government of the Khanty-Mansi region said in a statement.
There were reports that more than one attacker was involved and that the number of victims was higher than officials have disclosed, but these claims have not been verified.
The attacker may have suffered from a psychiatric disorder, the interior ministry said.
'The version that the attack was a terrorist one is not the main one,' the interior ministry added.
'In the interests of public calm and also of the investigation, citizens and media are recommended to use reliable information in assessing the situation until all the circumstances are established.'
Surgut is the largest city of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area region with a population of around 350,000.
It is a major centre for oil and gas production in the country.
