The ISIS group has taken responsibility for the heinous attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, which left over 145 people injured and at least 60 dead.
As the crowd gathered to witness the seasoned rock band Picnic on Friday night in the western outskirts of the city, at least five gunmen wearing camouflage and armed with automatic weapons broke into the crowded performance hall, shooting into the crowd and detonating explosives that caused a large fire.
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Moscow Concert Hall Attack
Russian news sources claim that the terrorists set off bombs at the Crocus City Hall, which is situated on the western edge of Moscow, which resulted in a large-scale fire. Huge plumes of black smoke were seen rising over the skyscraper in videos shared on social media, according to Reuters.
The Associated Press news agency said that the attack, which is being investigated by officials as a an act of terrorism, is the deadliest to have occurred in Russia in recent memory.
An apparent terrorist attack at a club/shopping center in Moscow before a performance started. Dozens wounded and dead. There was also an explosion and the building is on fire.
Early videos show multiple men (3, per state media) in camo shooting rifles. pic.twitter.com/WCRmznrldq— Aric Toler (@AricToler) March 22, 2024
Numerous terrorists stormed into the music hall, shooting at guests and setting a large-scale fire. Russian media reported that the roof of the hall was collapsing.
According to The Associated Press, the attack took place as a sizable crowd was getting ready for a concert by the well-known Russian rock band Picnic at a space that can hold over 6,000 people.
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ISIS claims responsibility
The Islamic State took responsibility for the deadly attack in an statement published by its affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday. However, no evidence has been provided by ISIS to support the declaration.
United States officials also confirmed the claim made by the Islamic State shortly, the New York Times reported.
US condemns the attack
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that he “condemns in the strongest possible terms” the attack, while the UN Security Council denounced it as a “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack.”
The heightened threat has also been alerted by the US. The US embassy in Moscow warned that “extremists” had immediate plans to launch an attack in Moscow, a few hours after the FSB statement. A US official claimed on Friday night that Washington received information verifying ISIL’s assertion that it was behind the attack on Crocus City Hall.
Notably, earlier this month, there had been a warning of a terrorist strike from the US embassy in Russia. It had issued a warning that “extremists” intended to attack Moscow’s big events, including concerts. Additionally, the alert advised US people to stay away from big gatherings for the next 48 hours.
