Russia's top anti-terror agency on Tuesday confirmed Maryam Sharipova, a 28-year old IT teacher from a Caucasus village as one of the two suicide bombers, who blew herself up at Moscow's metro Lubyanka station last week.
"According to information we have, she was wife of the Magomedali Vagapov, whose gang was active in Daghestan," the operational staff of National Anti-terrorism Centre (NAC) said.
Russian investigators had earlier identified the other bomber as Dzhanet Abdurakhmanova, the 17-year-old widow of a Muslim militant slain by government forces.
On Monday, the Novoya Gazeta daily had published an interview with Daghestani, who had recognised his daughter by photo of her head sent by someone on his mobile phone.
Maryam was born in 1982 in Balakhan, a village in the Untsukul region of Dagestan. Her parents were both teachers at the local school.
She studied math and psychology and graduated with distinction in 2005, before returning to Balakhan to teach computer science at the local school.
"We still can't believe it. We can't even work out what she was doing in Moscow," said Magomedov, adding, "She was devout, but she never expressed any radical opinions. She always lived at home; we always knew what she was up to."
On March 4, the Russian security services informed Magomedov that his daughter was married to the terrorist leader Magomedali Vagabov.
"I asked my daughter if it was true but she said she didn't have any connections with the underground resistance and would never marry without my consent," her father had told Novaya Gazeta.
The family was already under police observation in connection with one of Mariyam's brothers. In May 2008, Ilyas Sharipov was arrested on suspicion of possessing grenades, then later for abduction and illegally producing arms.
The two March 29 bombings killed 40 people and wounded 121 during the morning rush hour.
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