Moscow: A squad of shooters opened fire inside a sizable concert venue in Russia’s capital, leaving at least 60 people dead and over 100 injured. The concert hall was also set on fire by the assailants. Days after Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, strengthened his hold on power following a resounding win in the national elections, the heinous attack took place. Narendra Modi, the prime minister, has denounced the assault. “We vehemently denounce the horrific act of terrorism in Moscow. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims’ families. In this time of sorrow, India is united with the Russian government and people,” Prime Minister Modi said on X early on Saturday.
President Xi “stressed that China opposes all form of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to safeguard its national security and stability” , according to Xinhua.
The attack has been attributed to the terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS) according to a statement that was shared on social media networks that it controls. At this point, it is unknown what became of the attackers. The fire caused the performance hall’s roof to collapse.
Top updates on the Moscow concert hall incident are as follows:
The regional healthcare ministry was quoted by the RIA news agency on Saturday, as reported by Reuters, as stating that three children were among the victims of the attack on a concert near Moscow on Friday.
The assailants broke into Crocus City Hall, a music venue on the western outskirts of Moscow.
it has 6200 seats available. Shortly after the attack, information was sent to Vladimir Putin.
The Russian rock group Picnic was performing in the auditorium where the injured and dead were gathered. According to some Russian news reports, the fire that broke out when the attackers tossed bombs may have trapped more people.
Right now, not much is known about the attackers. The attackers, according to the officials, were donning combat fatigues. Videos uploaded by Russian media and on Telegram channels featured continuous gunshots. One featured two armed individuals moving around the arena. Four assailants appeared, brandishing assault rifles and donning caps as they fired shots at those who were yelling at close range.
- The concert security
Hall had no weapons. According to several Russian news outlets, the assailants left the area before to the arrival of Russian special troops. The attackers could have left the scene in a number of vehicles, which the authorities were searching for.
In a statement, Islamic State claimed to have killed and injured hundreds of people when it struck a sizable assembly of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk, a town outside of Moscow. The statement’s veracity has not yet been confirmed.
Within the previous few weeks, IS has been active in Russia. Russia’s top security service announced on March 7 that it had stopped an Islamic State cell from attacking a synagogue in Moscow. A few days prior, Ingushetia, in Russia’s unstable Caucasus region, was the scene of a gunfight that claimed the lives of six suspected IS members, according to Russian police.
Dmitry Medvedev,
The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council issued a dire warning, saying that anyone found to be complicit in Ukraine’s actions will be apprehended and executed without mercy. In the meantime, Ukraine has refuted any involvement. Advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated that his nation “has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods”.
The US Embassy in Moscow issued an advisory earlier this month advising Americans to stay away from public areas due to “imminent” plans by extremists to target major gatherings, such as concerts. There was “no advance knowledge that we had of this terrible attack,” according to a senior US official.
The terrorists reportedly started firing before throwing grenades and incendiary devices. The police are looking into the terror connection, and Putin has been kept up to date.
The “bloody terrorist attack” was described by Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry. “This disgusting crime must be denounced by the entire international community,” she stated on Telegram.
According to the US administration, the incident was deemed “terrible” and there was no apparent indication of any connection to the situation in Ukraine. The strike was branded as a Russian provocation by Ukraine’s military intelligence, which also claimed that the nation’s secret services were responsible.