At least 133 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack carried out by ISIS at a concert hall in Moscow. Additionally, it was revealed that 11 suspects were detained, including four terrorists.
The death toll from the terrorist attack carried out on Friday at a concert hall in Moscow, Russia, has risen to 133. Additionally, officials arrested 11 suspects, four of whom were directly involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the deadly shooting in a statement through its affiliated social media channels. And the United States has said it has intelligence confirming this, according to several media outlets.
Furthermore, Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that it has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
The terrorist attack began when four armed individuals dressed in combat gear stormed the Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk, where people had gathered to see the Russian band Picnic.
Video posted online showed a man wielding weapons and opening fire, shooting attendees at point-blank range and throwing smoke bombs.
The heavily armed individuals also set off explosives inside the hall during the attack, shaking the building and setting it ablaze, according to Russian media. People were being evacuated, but some remained trapped inside the burning building.
Additionally, the theater’s roof collapsed in the early hours of Saturday, as firefighters spent hours bringing the blaze under control. Russian citizens left flowers at memorial sites and lined up to donate blood.
“Intelligence agencies have detained 11 people, including four terrorists, who were directly involved in an attack on Crocus City Hall,” explained Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in a statement, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
“It has already been proven that the terrorist attack was carefully planned. The weapons used by the terrorists had been stored beforehand in a hideout,” the FSB stated.
The agency had initially blamed Ukraine, and Russia’s Investigative Committee indicated that four suspects were arrested in the Bryansk region in western Russia, “not far from the border with Ukraine.”
They allegedly planned to cross the border into Ukraine and “had contacts” there, according to the FSB.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied any involvement by his country before ISIS claimed responsibility.
“Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shootings/explosions at Crocus City Hall (Moscow region, Russia). It makes no sense,” he said on social media, adding in part, “there is no doubt that the events in the Moscow suburbs will contribute to a sharp increase in military propaganda, accelerated militarization, further mobilization, and ultimately, the escalation of the war. And also to justify blatant genocidal attacks against the civilian population of Ukraine.”
The terrorist attack occurred just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin won re-election. The deadliest attack in the country in years came as the nation’s war in Ukraine entered its third year.
Russian special services continue to carry out search operations. Likewise, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin canceled all mass events this weekend, and several other Russian regions followed suit.
Image: DiarioNY
