Hunt continues in Russian airport bombing

MOSCOW, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Russia's head of troops in the North Caucasus called the situation in the region "under control" despite new suicide bombings in Dagestan and Chechnya.

Nikolai Rogoshkin, commander in chief of interior troops, said a large-scale operation is under way to detain or destroy the insurgent leader who claimed responsibility for last month's Domodedovo Airport blast, The Moscow Times reported Wednesday.

A new media report indicated the Domodedovo bomber who killed 36 people spent more than an hour strolling around the airport before blowing himself up.

During that time, the suicide bomber was high on drugs and had a bomb bulging under his clothing, the report said.

Doku Umarov, who claimed responsibility for the operation, is believed to be hiding in a hard to reach mountain area.

Umarov has threatened to stage more attacks this year.

This week's suicide bombing in Dagestan killed two Interior Ministry Officers while two rebels died in a bombing in Chechnya's capital of Grozny.