DUSHANBE, March 9, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Tajik law enforcement authorities have instituted criminal proceedings over Tuesday’s blast in Dushanbe under the provisions of Article 179 (1) of Tajikistan’s Penal Code – terrorism.

Nozirjon Bouriyev, a spokesman for the State Committee on National Security (SCNS), told Asia-Plus Wednesday afternoon  that the preliminary investigation has established that the power of a homemade shell-less explosive device that blew up early Tuesday in Dushanbe’s neighborhood 82 was equivalent to some 50 grams of TNT.  “The law enforcement authorities are currently considering several versions of the incident,” the SCNS spokesman added.

We will recall that an explosion occurred outside the Lesnaya Skazka Restaurant in Dushanbe’s neighborhood # 82 Tuesday morning, between 8:00 am to 8:30 am.  The blast was reportedly sufficiently powerful that it blew out the windows of the nearby apartment building.  A teenager sustained slight wounds in the explosion.  A special team has been set up to investigate the blast.