ST. PETERSBURG, March 11 (RAPSI) – The trial of 11 persons allegedly involved in a terror attack that occurred in the St. Petersburg metro in 2017 will begin on April 2 as the defendants are expected to be transferred from Moscow by this time, RAPSI was told in the Leningrad District Military Court on Monday.

Indictment against the defendants was approved by prosecutors in February.

On April 3, 2017, an unknown device exploded in a train between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. According to law enforcement authorities, 16 people died in the blast including a suicide bomber, over 50 were wounded; 112 persons were acknowledged as victims in the case.

Eleven people were arrested and detained in the case. They were charged with terrorism and illegal acquisition, sale, keeping, transportation or bearing of explosives.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Investigators believe that a group with a goal of spreading terrorist activity, including attacks on Russia and its citizens, was founded in Syria. According to investigation, suicide bomber Akbarzhon Dzhalilov manufactured two explosives and brought them to the St. Petersburg metro.

One of the bombs that Dzhalilov kept to himself exploded around 2:40 PM Moscow time between St. Petersburg metro stations Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad. The second bomb located at Ploshchad Vosstaniya station failed to detonate because of its malfunction and was subsequently found and disarmed.