Police detain man who planned to blow up synagogue in southern Russia Thu Aug 22,11:14 AM ET
NALCHIK, Russia - Authorities in southern Russia have detained a man who planned to blow up a local synagogue, officials said Thursday.
The man, described as 24 years old and unemployed, planned to blow up the synagogue in the city of Nalchik, in the southern Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, officials said.
He was arrested Wednesday at his home, said police spokesman Tamerlan Kazikhanov. Authorities found a homemade bomb there containing a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of plastic explosives, as well as radio equipment, three automatic rifles, cartridges, and camouflage clothing.
Under questioning, the man spoke out against Jews and said he learned how to make bombs from military manuals he found in secondhand book stores and kiosks, officials said.
Boris Izgiyayev, the head of Nalchik's Jewish community, said he was surprised by the news of the alleged bomb plot.
"When I learned about the attempt, I was shocked," he said. "We collect donations for orphans and poor people there. We pray there and mean no harm to anybody."
Police said they were looking into whether the man had any contacts with terrorist organizations in the North Caucasus region. Kalbardino-Balkaria is near the breakaway region of Chechnya ( news - web sites), where Russian forces are fighting rebels.
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