Suicide Bomber Done In by Errant Text Message

Spam text detonated her bomb early in Moscow
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 27, 2011 7:11 PM CST
Updated Jan 29, 2011 2:59 PM CST
Suicide Bomber Done In by Errant Text Message
File photo.   (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, FILE)

A bizarre tale out of Moscow on the hazards of being a suicide bomber: A woman intended to blow herself up in Red Square on New Year's Eve and inflict mass casualties, but she received a "Happy New Year" text message that detonated her bomb too early, reports the Telegraph. As a result of the miscue, the blast killed only her.

The newspaper, quoting anonymous Russian security officials, says the woman was at a safe house preparing for the attack when the spam text arrived. Normally, bombers leave their phones off until the last moment, but investigators think the woman got careless. She is believed to be from the same Black Widow group blamed in the recent deadly airport bombing attack in Moscow.
(More Black Widow stories.)

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