Putin terms St Petersburg explosion as 'terrorist attack'

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday has termed the explosion at a St. Petersburg supermarket as a terrorist attack.

Speaking at an awards ceremony at the Kremlin, Putin said, "You know that yesterday a terrorist act was committed in St. Petersburg. Some times ago, the Federal Security Service (FSB) prevented another terrorist attack attempt."

Putin also ordered the security forces to take immediate measures to capture terrorists of Russian origin, who might have carried out the attack. He also praised Russia's contribution to the latest defeat of Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria, according to Xinhua.

At least 10 people were reportedly injured in a busy shopping area in St Petersburg on Wednesday. The blast occurred inside a locker of a grocery store at an entertainment complex.

According to initial reports, local authorities are treating the incident as a "potential mass homicide attempt". No one has claimed responsibility for the blast as of now.