No fewer than 115 people including children have been killed and and 187 others injured as gunmen suspected to be terrorists attack the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia.
The camouflage-clad gunmen at
least five with automatic weapons on Friday night, March 22, 2024, burst into
the packed concert hall in the Russian capital’s western suburbs as the
audience was gathering to watch the veteran rock band Picnic, shooting into the
crowd and setting off explosives that started a massive fire.
Several Russian media outlets
stated that automatic weapons were used in what many have termed ‘one of the
worst of attacks in Russia in years’.
At least 115 people have been
confirmed killed, Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Saturday, adding
that the number of victims was expected to rise further.
It was also gathered that at
least 187 people including eight children were injured.
ISIL, the hardline group that
once sought control over Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack
on its Telegram channel, saying the gunmen had escaped. It was not possible to independently
verify the claim.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was too early to say anything about
the fate of the attackers, state news agency RIA reported.
The concert hall, one of the
most popular in Moscow, can hold some 6,200 people.
Alexei, a music producer, was
about to settle into his seat ahead when he said he heard “several machineguns
bursts” and “a lot of screams”.
“I realised right away that it
was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it’s the worst: a
terrorist attack,” Alexei told the AFP news agency, declining to share his full
name.
As people ran towards the
emergency exits, “there was a terrible crush” with concertgoers climbing on one
another’s heads to get out, he added.
Another witness, speaking to
the Reuters news agency, also described the terror and panic inside the venue.
“A stampede began. Everyone ran
to the escalator,” they said, declining to share their name. “Everyone was screaming;
everyone was running.”
The attack comes days after
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the board of the Federal Security Service
that “Western structures” had been engaging in “outright blackmail” when they
warned Moscow of potential terrorist attacks.
He has repeatedly warned
foreign powers were seeking to sow chaos inside Russia.
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