An improvised explosive device (IED) blast has killed at least three people and wounded 21 others at a restaurant in central Moscow, according to Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC).
An unidentified woman attempted to bring the explosive into a restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow at around 19:55 on Saturday, NAC said in a press statement.
Three people were killed: a security guard who had prevented the unidentified woman from entering the premises, the woman herself, and a restaurant patron, according to the statement.
Videos from the scene show dozens of emergency vehicles at the site, as well as the police and members of Russia’s National Guard Service (Rosgvardia) cordoning off the area.
According to the SHOT Telegram channel, the blast occurred at the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant, which had been reserved for a wedding and was serving around 50 people.
Investigators and forensic experts are examining the scene, the Russian Investigative Committee said.