St Petersburg supermarket 'bomber' arrested by police in Russia

A policeman stands guard near a supermarket after an explosion in St Petersburg, Russia on 27 December, 2017 (Reuters)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of setting off an explosion at a supermarket in St Petersburg earlier this week, Russia's main domestic security agency said.

The blast on Wednesday in a storage area for customers' bags injured 18 people.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest in a statement carried by Russian news agencies, but did not identify the suspect or provide any details about his motive.

It did say the suspect organised and carried out the attack on his own.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the explosion, according to SITE, a group that monitors IS statements.

President Vladimir Putin has called the explosion a terror attack, adding that he ordered security agencies to kill terror suspects on the spot if they resist arrest.

AP