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 horrible act of terrorism in Moscow. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims' families. He stated on X that India is in sympathy with the Russian government and people during this time of sorrow.
The terrorist organization Islamic State has taken credit for the attack in a statement that was shared on social media sites 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 assailants broke into Crocus City Hall, a 6200-seat music venue located on the western outskirts of Moscow. 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.
There were no guns among the music hall security. 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.
The deputy head of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a 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. A senior US official has denied knowing about this horrific incident in advance.
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. She stated on Telegram that the entire world community has to denounce this heinous act.
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.
