(AFP) – Russia announced on Saturday that the death toll in the attack on a concert hall in Moscow claimed by the Islamic State had reached 115 and arrested 11 people, including four gunmen.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment publicly on the attack, and the Russian government has denied responsibility for the attack, despite some lawmakers pointing to possible links to Ukraine. Not mentioned.
On Friday night, camouflaged gunmen opened fire at the packed Crocus Town Hall in the northern Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk ahead of a concert by Soviet-era rock band Piknik, Russia’s deadliest attack in at least a decade. A deadly attack occurred.
Russia’s Federal Security Service said some of the assailants fled towards the Russia-Ukraine border, adding that they had “appropriate contacts” in the country.
No further details were provided.
Some Russian lawmakers also pointed to Kiev without providing evidence.
“The main stakeholders are likely to be Ukraine and its backers…We cannot rule out that possibility,” said Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian lawmaker.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – MARCH 22: Ambulances and personnel arrive at the Crocus Town Hall concert venue near Moscow, Russia, following reports of a shooting incident on March 22, 2024. Several gunmen reportedly burst into a large concert hall in Moscow and fired their weapons. Russia’s Federal Security Service said 40 people were killed and 100 injured in a shooting at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow region in front of a crowd. (Photo by Ali Kura/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
Ukraine, which has faced Russian military attacks for the past two years, had “nothing to do” with the attack, presidential aide Mykhailo Podlyak said in a statement on Telegram.
The Kremlin said the head of the FSB security service had informed President Vladimir Putin about the arrests, but authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, with more than 100 people still hospitalized and the burnt-out venue He warned that the search continues.
“FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov informed the President about the arrest of 11 people, including four terrorists involved in the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall,” the statement said.
President Putin himself has not appeared in public or made any statements in the more than 12 hours since the attack.
The Kremlin said he was kept informed and government officials said he wished the victims a speedy recovery.
developing: https://t.co/M4iUzGg3hJ
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 22, 2024
Russia’s Investigative Committee for Serious Crimes said rescue workers at the scene were still working to remove bodies from the building.
“Emergency services found more bodies while clearing the rubble. The death toll now stands at 115,” it said in a statement on Telegram.
The death toll could rise further as the Moscow region governor said rescue teams would continue searching the scene for “several days”.
Investigators said the 6,000-seat venue was engulfed in fire, killing people from both gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation.
“The terrorists used flammable liquids to set fire to the grounds of the concert hall, where there were spectators, including the injured,” the investigative committee said.
Flames quickly spread through the venue Friday after reports of a mass shooting, with concertgoers screaming and rushing to the emergency exits.
Footage shared on social media showed some people filming from the upper floors as the gunmen walked methodically through the stalls and shot people.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday, saying its fighters attacked a “large gathering” on the outskirts of Moscow and “retired safely to their base.”
On March 22, 2024, an ambulance is seen outside the burning Crocus Town Hall concert hall following a mass shooting in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk. On March 22, 2024, gunmen opened fire at a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, leading to casualties. A large-scale fire spread through the building, Moscow’s mayor and Russian news agencies reported. (Photo credit: STRINGER/AFP) (Photo credit: STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian authorities called it a “terrorist attack” but did not comment on Islamic State’s claims.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, about 107 people were still hospitalized as of Saturday morning.
Russian Telegram channels and lawmakers, including Baza, which is close to the security services, said some of the suspects were from the Central Asian country of Tajikistan.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had not received any information from Moscow about the involvement of its citizens.
In Moscow, residents stood in long lines to donate blood in the rain on Saturday morning, according to a video posted by state media.
Commemorative posters depicting a single candle have been replaced by advertising billboards at some bus stops in Moscow, the RIA Novosti oblast government agency reported.
Major events have been canceled across the country, including a friendly soccer match between Russia and Paraguay scheduled to be held in Moscow on Monday.
A series of statements of condemnation came from world leaders.
On Saturday, an Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Taliban “condemns in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attack in Moscow, Russia…and considers it a blatant violation of all human standards.” Ta.
A person stands next to a temporary memorial in front of Crocus City Hall on March 23, 2024, the day after a shooting in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk. Gunmen who opened fire at a Moscow concert hall killed and injured more than 60 people, authorities said on March 23, 2024, causing inferno and killing more than 100 people, with Islamic State claiming responsibility. (Photo credit: STRINGER/AFP) (Photo credit: STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
The attack has also focused attention on Russia’s powerful intelligence services.
Just three days earlier, President Putin had publicly dismissed Western warnings about an impending attack on Moscow as propaganda aimed at scaring the Russian people.
On March 7, the U.S. Embassy in Russia issued an alert saying it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.” .
The US government said it had directly warned Russian authorities of a “planned terrorist attack” that may have targeted a “large gathering” in Moscow.
National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said the United States “shared this information with Russian authorities.”
But last Tuesday, in a meeting with FSB chiefs, President Putin said, “The recent provocative statements by many Western government agencies about possible terrorist attacks in Russia are blatant threats and are a threat to our “It resembles an intention to intimidate and destabilize society.”
In early March, the FSB announced that it had killed an Islamic State militant who was planning an attack on a synagogue in Moscow.
In recent weeks, the agency has announced the arrest of multiple pro-Ukrainian saboteurs on an almost daily basis for planning attacks on Russian military infrastructure.
