Moscow, 15 September 1999 (RFE/RL) - Police are conducting a security crack down in Moscow in the wake of two apartment building blasts in the Russian capital which have left more than 210 people dead. Police yesterday manned checkpoints on roads leading in and out of the city, while squads of officers checked the identity papers of people on the street and conducted searches for explosives in subway stations, outdoor markets, apartment buildings, and other areas. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended a closed session of the State Duma to discuss the series of explosions--the latest of which, early on Monday, claimed 118 lives. Putin said he did not believe there was a need to impose a state of emergency to combat the attacks. He again linked the blasts to Moscow's conflict with Islamic insurgents in Dagestan and said "international saboteurs" were behind the acts. Putin urged the creation of a security cordon to contain possible threats coming from the breakaway republic of Chechnya, which borders Dagestan.
No one has claimed responsibility for the Moscow attacks nor a blast in Dagestan earlier this month which killed 64 people. Authorities say they have detained three suspects, but few other details have been released.