The blast in the Moldovan capital Chisinau that injured at least 36 people was a terrorist attack, the country's General Prosecutor said on Thursday.
Moldovan officials claim that during the explosion they received two anonymous calls with threats against the country's government.
General Prosecutor Valery Zubko described the Chisinau incident as a terrorist act committed “in order to intimidate the population.”
The explosion occurred on Wednesday night when an unknown man threw a grenade at a crowded square during the “City Day” celebrations.
A criminal investigation is now underway and Moldovan Interior Minister Victor Catan said he doesn’t not exclude al-Qaeda’s involvement in the blast.
“It’s possible that Al-Qaeda manipulated some of its young supporters in Moldova and took part in the organization of the attack on the central square of Chisinau,” he said.
The official also noted that he doesn’t reject the possibility of a Transdniester hand in the tragedy.
“We’ve contacted the law enforcement authorities of Transdniester because the grenade, which exploded yesterday in the area, apparently comes from military warehouses located in that region,” Victor Catan said.
The Transdniester region, which is predominantly populated by Russians and Ukrainians, has been seeking independence from Moldova since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
At the same time, Victor Catan stressed that he doesn’t believe that the blast has anything to do with the political processes within Moldavia.
Catan said that a composite sketch of the suspect who threw the grenade into the crowd has already been made. It is a young man of approximately 25-years-old with a height of approximately 5' 6".