Chechen rebel claims Moscow attacks

Doku Umarov, a Chechen separatist leader, has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings in the Moscow metro that killed at least 39 people on Monday, according to a video posted on an unofficial rebel website. Umarov, who styles himself as the "Emir of the Caucasus Emirate", said in the video, posted onwww.kavkazcenter.com on Wednesday, that he had personally ordered the attacks and that they would continue. In February, Umarov claimed responsibility for the bombing of a passenger train travelling between Moscow and St Petersburg in November, warning that "the war is coming to their cities" and that "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia". Russian officials have blamed Muslim separatist fighters from the North Caucasus for the Moscow attacks, the deadliest in Russia's capital for six years.