Explosion in Russia injures 10

UPDATE: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday’s bombing in a St. Petersburg supermarket was an act of terrorism. The blast injured 13 people. Putin made the announcement Thursday at an awards ceremony at the Kremlin. Officials say the blast came from a homemade bomb packed with pieces of metal, and investigators have opened a criminal case. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Putin said he ordered security officials to ramp up their anti-terror activity and “to act decisively, not take any prisoners, and liquidate the bandits on the spot.”

OUR EARLIER REPORT (12/27/17, 4:30 p.m.): At least 10 people were injured on Wednesday by an explosion at a supermarket in St. Petersburg, Russia. A device rigged with shrapnel went off in a storage area for customers’ bags at a Perekrestok supermarket in the city’s northwest Kalininsky district, according to the Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigative agency. People were hospitalized with injuries, but so far no deaths have been reported. Officials have not called the attack terrorism, but the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, which oversees anti-terror efforts in the country, said it was coordinating the search for suspects. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked President Donald Trump for a CIA tip that helped thwart a series of bombings in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city and cultural hub. Seven suspects linked to Islamic State (ISIS) were arrested in connection to the alleged plot to bomb St. Petersburg’s Kazan Cathedral and other sites.