Moscow terror attack: In the Russian city of Moscow, a big concert hall was attacked by gunmen who sprayed gunshots inside, resulting in at least 60 fatalities and over 100 injuries. 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. We extend our thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims during this difficult time. In this time of sorrow, India is united with the Russian government and people, Prime Minister Modi said on X(twitter) early on Saturday.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack through statements posted on social media channels affiliated with the group. As of now, the fate of the attackers remains unknown, and the concert hall’s roof collapsed due to the fire. Moscow terror attack
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Top updates on the Moscow concert hall incident are as follows:
- The assailants entered Crocus City Hall, a music venue situated on the western outskirts of Moscow, with a capacity of 6200 people. Vladimir Putin was notified moments after the assault occurred.
- The individuals who perished or were injured were attending a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic in the hall. According to some Russian news accounts, there is a possibility that additional individuals may have been trapped by the fire that broke out following the assailants’ detonation of explosives.
- There is very little information available regarding the assailants. However, investigators said the attackers were dressed in war fatigues. Repeated rounds of gunshots could be heard in recordings provided by Russian media and on Telegram channels. One shows two individuals with weapons strolling around the venue. Others confronted four terrorists armed with assault rifles and wearing hats, who shot screaming civilians at point-blank range.
- The music hall guards did not have weapons. Some Russian news outlets said that the attackers fled the site before Russian special forces arrived. The authorities were searching for multiple vehicles that the attackers could have used to depart the scene.
- In a statement, the Islamic State claimed that it assaulted a big assembly of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk, on Moscow’s outskirts, killing and wounding hundreds. The statement’s validity has not yet been verified.
- IS has been active in Russia for the past few weeks. On March 7, Russia’s top security service claimed to have foiled an Islamic State cell’s attack on a synagogue in Moscow. A few days previously, Russian police said that six alleged IS members were killed in a shootout in Ingushetia, in Russia’s volatile Caucasus region.
- Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, has warned that if Ukraine’s involvement is established, those responsible would be apprehended and murdered without mercy. Ukraine, however, has denied any involvement. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that his country has never used terrorist methods.
- Earlier this month, the US Embassy in Moscow advised Americans to avoid crowded areas in light of radicals’ “imminent” plans to target major gatherings, including concerts. A senior US official denied having “any advance knowledge that we had of this terrible attack.”
- According to news sources, the terrorists opened fire before throwing grenades and incendiary explosives. The authorities are looking into the terror angle, and Putin has been receiving regular information. According to Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, it was a “bloody terrorist attack”. “The entire international community must condemn this heinous crime,” she stated via Telegram.
- The US administration described the incident as “terrible” and stated that there was no immediate relation to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s military intelligence described the strike as a Russian provocation, accusing the country’s special services of being behind it.