Russia arrests suspects in double plane crash

1.00pm

MOSCOW - Russian police arrested two suspects on Tuesday in connection with a double plane crash two weeks ago, one of a string of attacks over the last month blamed on Chechen separatists, Interfax news agency reported.

Russian authorities initially said the nearly simultaneous downing of two airliners was a freak coincidence, but began a criminal investigation after finding traces of explosives in the wreckage of both planes. At least 89 people died.

"The arrest of the suspects was carried out with the sanction of a court. Their participation in committing the crimes is being investigated," Interfax quoted a spokesman from the Prosecutor General's office as saying.

It gave no details.

Although officials have declined to blame separatists for the crashes, Russian media speculated that two passengers believed to be Chechen women blew up the planes, which crashed days before an election in the war-torn province.

An Islamic group calling itself the Islambouli Brigades has also claimed responsibility in a statement on the internet.

As well as the twin crash, Chechen rebels have been blamed for several attacks in the past month, including an offensive which killed dozens of policemen in the Chechen capital, a Moscow suicide bombing, and last week's siege of a school where over a thousand people were held hostage and more than 330 died.

- REUTERS