Moscow Attack: Death Toll, US's Unheard 'Warning', Chilling Details From Scene | Key

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Moscow Attack: Death Toll, US's Unheard 'Warning', Chilling Details From Scene | Key Points
By: Outlook Web Desk News - Updated On: 24 Mar 2024, 4:53 Am
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Moscow Attack: The attack on Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow's western edge, left at least 133 people dead and many wounded as armed assailants sprayed the crowd with gunfire and left the building a smoldering ruin.

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In this photo released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 23, 2024, firefighters work in the burned concert hall after an attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. Photo: AP

At least 133 people have died in the Friday Moscow concert hall massacre, the most deadly terrorist attack Russia has seen in years. While the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Russia President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the arrested suspects were "headed to Ukraine".

Armed assailants on Friday stormed a concert hall in Russia's Moscow, killing 133 people, in an attack that came just days after Putin tightened his grip on power after winning the elections as country's war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.

The Islamic State group's Afghanistan branch claimed responsibility for Friday's attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media. A US intelligence official, cited it an Associated Press (AP) report, said that US agencies had confirmed that the group was responsible for the attack.

What Happened In Moscow

Armed assailants stormed a large concert hall in Moscow on Friday, March 22, and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing at least 133 people. Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range.

Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses saying that the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire. The roof of the theater, where crowds had gathered for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic, collapsed early Saturday as firefighters spent hours fighting the blaze.

Who Claimed Responsibility
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The Islamic State (IS) group, an offshoot of al-Qaida that took over much of Iraq and Syria in 2014, claimed responsibility on the social media channels that they typically use to issue statements. They first claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday and then again Saturday.

ALSO READ | Islamic State’s Attack In Russia Confirms The Group’s Unpredictability

In their Saturday statement Islamic State group said the attack had come in the “natural framework” of the ongoing war between the extremist group and countries they accuse of fighting Islam, an Associated Press report mentioned.

Did US 'Warn' Russia Beforehand?
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A US official also reportedly confirmed that US agencies said that IS-K, a Central Asian affiliate of the Islamic State group, was responsible for the attack, noting that IS-K has long targeted Russia.

The US Embassy in Moscow had issued a security alert to US citizens on March 7 saying it was monitoring reports that extremists had “imminent plans to target large gatherings" in Moscow, including concerts. Putin had denounced the US warning as an attempt to scare Russians.

The March 7 warning advised US citizens to avoid large gatherings for the coming 48 hours. The bloody attack came just over two weeks later.

Even though the US said it has evidence backing up the jihadists' claim, the attack has led to Moscow and Kyiv pointing fingers at each other.

Putin Says Suspects Tried To Escape To Ukraine;

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday 11 people have been detained in connection with the attack on the Moscow concert. In an address to the nation, Putin called it “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said all four people who were directly involved had been taken into custody.

Putin suggested they had been trying to cross the border into Ukraine which, he said, tried to create a “window” to help them escape.

[Note: Ukraine, however, strongly denied any involvement in the attack. Putin said Saturday that additional security measures have been imposed throughout the country and declared March 24 a day of national mourning.]

Grim Details From Attack Scene;

While some people died of gunshot wounds in the deadly attack, others were killed in a huge fire as gunmen used petrol to set fire to the concert hall.

Russian media reported that 28 bodies were found in a toilet and 14 on a staircase.

Investigators on Saturday combed through the charred wreckage of the hall for more victims, as the authorities said the death toll could still rise. Hundreds of people stood in line in Moscow early Saturday to donate blood and plasma, Russia's health ministry said.

Outlook Reports the following:

Russia Concert Hall Terror Attack - Top Points
The attackers used flammable liquid to set fire to sections of Crocus City Hall in Moscow, BBC report quoting Russian authorities said.

The initial reports that the causes of death of the 133 killed people were gunshot wounds and poisoning by combustion products.

The initial dead toll in the attack has mounted to 93 people which is likely to go up further, BBC reported.

Four people directly involved in the Concert City Hall attack are among the 11 detained by Russia's security agencies, BBC reported

Russia has reportedly also published pictures of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon, vests with multiple spare magazines and bags of spent bullet casings, apparently belonging to the attackers.

Earlier, out of the 145 injured in the attack, the condition of 60 people were said to be critical, Reuters reported.

The investigators worked through the night to gather evidence at the spot, including abandoned weapons and ammunition left by the gunmen, while Russia has said "very little" about the identity of the attackers were, BBC reported.

China's President Xi Jinping has sent his "condolences" to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the Crocus City Hall attack, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Following the attack, the security has been tightened with events cancelled across Russia as the county's national guard searches for the attackers, BBC reported.

The Congress has condemned the "dastardly" terror attack in Moscow and said "we strongly stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Russia".

The “mourn” messages have appeared on billboards across Russia after the deadly attack, BBC reported. The billboards across Moscow are paying tributes to the victims of the terror attack. The boards showed the candle and the word "skorbim", along with the date of the attack, the report said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned Moscow terrorist attack, saying India stands in solidarity with Russia in this hour of grief.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack that has left over a 100 people dead and more than that injured. Russia's Federal Security Service--FSB (Federal Security Service) has said the attack took place at the Crocus City Hall in outskirts of Moscow.

In a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, the Islamic State group said it attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk on Moscow's outskirts, killing and wounding hundreds, AP reported. It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the claim. However, US intelligence officials confirmed the claim by the Islamic State group's branch based in Afghanistan that it was responsible for the Moscow attack, AP reported.

The reports said US intelligence agencies had gathered information in recent weeks that the IS branch was planning an attack in Moscow.

AP reported US officials privately shared the intelligence earlier this month with Russian officials.

Russian news reports said that the assailants threw explosives, triggering the massive blaze at the hall, which can accommodate over 6,200 people. Video from outside showed the building on fire, with a huge cloud of smoke rising through the night sky, The Associated Press reported.

The attack took place as crowds gathered for performance by Picnic, a famous Russian rock band, the reports said.

Russian state media agency RIA Novosti earlier reported that at least three gunmen were involved. “People in camouflage, at least three, burst into the ground floor of the Crocus City Hall and opened fire with automatic weapons.” It added that the attackers “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire”.

Another state media agency TASS reported that emergency and security services had rescued some 100 people from the attack site.
Russia's top investigative agency is treating the incident as a terror attack and has begun probing the shooting and explosions at the Moscow concert hall.

The United States government said it had "no indication at this time" that Ukraine was involved in the incident. Importantly, the US had issued a warning to its citizens two weeks ago that it was "monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts”.

The BBC reported that Ukraine has distanced itself from the attack. Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, posted on Telegram that "let's be clear, Ukraine absolutely has nothing to do with these events".

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a statement and said: “Today a terrible tragedy occurred in the Crocus City center. My condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I gave orders to provide all necessary assistance to everyone who suffered during the incident.”

US on Moscow attack:

White House National Security Advisor John Kirby said Friday that he couldn't yet speak about all the details but that “the images are just horrible. And just hard to watch," AP reported.

“Our thoughts are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack,” Kirby said. “There are some moms and dads and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters who haven't gotten the news yet. This is going to be a tough day.”

The attack followed a statement issued earlier this month by the US Embassy in Moscow that urged the Americans to avoid crowded places in the Russian capital in view of an imminent attack, a warning that was repeated by several other Western embassies.

Putin Suggests Ukraine Link in Moscow attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that additional security measures have been imposed throughout the country and suggested that Ukraine was linked to the attack. However, some Russian politicians pointed the finger at Ukraine shortly after the attack — accusations that Ukraine has strongly denied.

Putin said all four people directly involved in the attack had been detained and suggested they were trying to cross the border into Ukraine while escaping. He provided no evidence for that claim.

Putin ordered that Sunday will be a nationwide day of mourning. The attack was the deadliest in Russia in years and left the concert hall a smoldering ruin.
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Tags: Russia - Moscow - Terrorism - Ukraine - Vladimir Putin - Volodymyr Zelensky

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