Over 100 Killed, Injured In Islamic Terrorist Attack In Moscow
Several people were brutally killed in an attack at a concert hall in Russia’s capital city of Moscow on Friday night. The attack, carried out by Islamic terrorists, occurred while a sold-out concert was going on at Crocus City Hall.
Just when the rock band Piknik was about to start performing, up to four men dressed in camouflage began to massacre people outside the hall with fully automatic weapons. It was initially reported that at least 40 people were killed in the shooting and 140 were injured.
40+ Dead, 140+ Injured In Islamic Terrorist Attack In Russia https://t.co/f9ZoAqk12B pic.twitter.com/JtiVIEFS0c
— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) March 22, 2024
However, the death toll later rose to 115, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
ISIS took responsibility for the attack on Friday, saying in a statement that they attacked “a large gathering of Christians” and caused hundreds of casualties before retreating ‘to their bases safely.”. More fatalities are expected, as rescuers continue to search the attack site for “several days.”
The attack, seen as the deadliest terror attack in Russia in over a decade, came two weeks after the United States Department warned that terrorists were planning an attack and advised against large public gatherings, particularly concerts.
Per The New York Times, the warning was directly connected to Friday night’s attack, as the U.S. Intelligence Community indicated that a branch of ISIS was planning an attack in Moscow.
As of Saturday, the Russian government said that 11 people had been arrested in connection with the attack. The apprehended suspects include four suspected gunmen.
According to Russia’s FSB security service, the assailants had “appropriate contacts” in Ukraine, as some of the gunmen fled towards the Russian-Ukraine border. Some Russian lawmakers have also pointed fingers at Ukraine, with senior Russian MP Andrey Kartapolov saying, “The main interested party could most likely be Ukraine and its patrons … we can’t rule it out.”
Ukraine, which has been in war with Russia for the past two years, has, however, denied involvement in the attack.
According to a statement by presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak on Telegram, Kyiv had “nothing to do” with the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not made any remarks about the incident or made any public appearance since the attack.