Putin says Saint Petersburg supermarket bombing was an act of terrorism

Adds blast justifies depolyment of thousands of Russian soldiers in Syria

RUSSIA: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a blast that ripped through Saint Petersburg supermarket previous day injuring shoppers was result of an act of terrorism.



Putin was speaking at an awards ceremony in the Kremlin for Russian military servicemen and women who served in Syria.

"You know that yesterday in St Petersburg a terrorist act was carried out," Putin told the audience. "And that recently the Federal Security Service prevented another attempted terrorist act."

Putin said the security situation in Russia would be much worse however if thousands of Russian citizens who had fought with Islamic State in Syria had been allowed to return home.