Moscow, April 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Moscow will heighten security for this summer’s World Athletics Championships following the deadly Boston Marathon blasts.
At least three people were killed Monday and 144 others injured, some critically, after a pair of powerful explosions ripped through a crowd near the finish line as the prestigious US race was still in progress.
“Naturally, tougher measures will be taken. We have high security anyway but we will obviously draw conclusions from the incident in Boston,” said Vyacheslav Balakhnichev, head of All Russian Athletics Federation, Tuesday.
US authorities have launched a criminal investigation that they have also classified as a “potential terrorist investigation”, Richard DesLauriers, a special agent with the FBI’s Boston Division, was cited by CNN as saying.
“Terrorists don’t choose any old target but the more vulnerable areas from the security services’ point of view. Sports events that take place in the open air are harder to protect because (attacks) can happen anywhere,” Balakhnichev said.
The Russian capital has been rocked by major terrorist attacks over recent years, including the 2010 Moscow subway suicide bombings that killed 40 people and the 2011 Domodedovo Airport suicide blast that killed 37 and injured more than 100.
The IAAF Championships are to be held at Moscow’s iconic Luzhniki Stadium Aug 10-18.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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