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Bombing at Moscow airport kills 35

MOSCOW, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A terrorist bombing Monday at Moscow Domodedovo Airport's international arrival gate killed at least 35 people and injured scores more, officials said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told officials in a televised meeting that, based on preliminary information, "it was a terrorist attack," RIA Novosti reported.

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The Russian Health Ministry said at least 133 people were injured.

Media reports conflicted about the number of bombers and whether the bomb was on a person or hidden in luggage.

The explosion occurred at the baggage claim area in the international arrivals section of Moscow's busiest airport, about 13.6 miles southeast of Moscow.

Medvedev said officials would investigate how the attacker had managed to strike.

"After previous similar events, we passed appropriate legislation, and we have to check how it has been applied," he said. "Obviously there have been lapses. We will have to look into this."

A British Airways plane heading for the airport returned to London when the news was reported, RIA Novosti said.

Medvedev also pledged assistance to the families of the dead and those injured and said he would delay his trip to an economic forum in Switzerland.

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Investigators were checking information on three men, an official close to the investigation told ITAR-Tass.

"Video cameras captured three suspicious men. They entered Domodedovo through the hall where there are no metal detectors, a law enforcement official said. "The three men were said to have been stopped by police for an ID check. An explosion occurred after that."

Another source told ITAR-Tass the attack was completed by a suicide bomber.

"The circumstances of the explosion suggest that. In addition, the explosive device was most likely filled with pieces of metal as borne out by a large number of injured people and the nature of the injuries," the official said. "The explosion occurred outside the control zone, at the exit from the green channel where no metal detectors are installed."

Airport workers tore down a wall between the main airport and the arrival area so passengers could escape, RIA Novosti said.

Witnesses told Russian media outlets smoke was so dense, officials were having difficulty counting the dead.

One media report indicated Federal Security Services officials knew terrorists were planning an attack but were searching Zelenograd, a town near Moscow, RIA Novosti said.

Security has been tightened at other airports in Moscow and the city's transit system, which was hit by terrorist attacks in March 2010 in which 40 people died.

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International flights arriving at Domodedovo were delayed or diverted to nearby airports, officials said.

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