Moscow attack:
Moscow: The Investigative Committee reported on Saturday that the death toll from the gunman’s attack on a concert hall in Moscow had risen to almost 60, from an initial estimate of 40, as reported by Russian news agencies.
“At this time, the deceased’s bodies are being investigated. It has been tentatively confirmed that the terrorist attack claimed the lives of over sixty persons. Regretfully, the Investigative Committee stated that the death toll might increase.
According to a correspondent for the news agency RIA Novosti who was present, attackers wearing camouflage uniforms entered the building, started firing, and hurled an incendiary device or grenade.
The concert hall Crocus City, which can accommodate several thousand people and has played host to renowned worldwide singers, caught fire quite rapidly in the northern Krasnogorsk area of the Russian capital.
According to Russian news outlets, President Vladimir Putin‘s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that authorities had launched a “terrorist” inquiry and that the president was getting “constant” briefings on the attack.
The security forces-affiliated Telegram news channels Baza and Mash displayed footage of flames and black smoke billowing from the hallway.
In other photos, there was at least one person still on the ground close to the entryway as two men moved through the hallway. Additionally, concertgoers were observed attempting to flee or hiding beneath seats.
All public events in Moscow for the weekend were canceled after Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared that there had been a “terrible tragedy” at the Russian rock band Piknik’s concert.
Two to five persons “wearing tactical uniforms and carrying automatic weapons” opened fire on guards at the gate, according to security agencies cited by the Interfax news agency, before beginning to shoot at the crowd.
For fifteen or twenty minutes, those in the hall were brought to the ground to shield themselves from the gunfire,” the RIA Novosti reporter was cited as saying.
As soon as it was safe, people began to crawl out, the journalist reported.
heinous offense
According to the emergency services ministry on its Telegram channel, about 100 individuals managed to flee through the theater basement, while others sought refuge on the roof.
However, according to the TASS news agency, around one-third of the facility was on fire.It was described as a “bloody terrorist attack” by Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry.She stated on Telegram, “This heinous crime must be condemned by the entire international community.”The incident was deemed “terrible” by the US presidency, however no direct connection to the Ukraine crisis was seen at this time.US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in Washington, “There is no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians were involved in the shooting.”
If top Ukrainian authorities were connected to the incident, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev promised on Telegram that they “must be found and ruthlessly destroyed as terrorists.”A significant security operation was initiated around the theater and adjacent retail center. “I offer my condolences to the families of the dead,” stated the mayor of Moscow.The OMON anti-riot squad, special police units, and SOBR were dispatched to the Crocus hall, according to TASS.It further stated that the rock band’s entire membership had successfully evacuated.Leader of the Orthodox church Patriarch Kirill was “praying for peace for the souls of the dead,” according to Vladimir Legoyda, his spokesperson.
Prior alertsIslamist organizations have previously attacked Moscow and other Russian cities, but there have also been instances where there was no obvious political motivation.The US embassy in Russia issued a warning earlier this month stating that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow,” which includes concerts.In 2002, separatist Chechen terrorists captured 912 people in the Dobrovka theater in Moscow and demanded that Russian forces leave the area.
Thirty-one persons were slain when special forces stormed the theater to break up the hostage situation. Almost all of them were suffocated by gas that the security personnel had used to take out the attackers.Russia began its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, and since then, anti-Kremlin forces have attacked the country along its border.The commanders of the Freedom of Russia Legion, who are members of the Ukrainian military forces, as well as the president of Ukraine denied any involvement in the music hall assault.
