International Desk: At least 60 people were killed in the attack by masked gunmen in the concert hall in the capital of Russia, Moscow. Many people were injured in this attack. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the casualties.
After this incident, in a post on its own Telegram channel, ISIS claimed responsibility, Reuters said. However, it was not possible to verify that IS post. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident a “bloody terrorist attack.”.
The attack took place at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall on Friday (March 22) local time. Meanwhile, gunmen entered the concert hall and opened fire with automatic rifles. According to Russian media reports, the attackers used explosives in addition to shooting. Crocus City Hall caught fire. The roof of the hall collapsed.
Meanwhile, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing in Washington that there was no indication that Ukraine or Ukrainians were involved in the attack by gunmen in the Moscow concert hall.
According to international media sources, the US Embassy in Russia issued a security alert on March 7. The warning said there were reports of extremists planning to attack large gatherings in Moscow. The warning also mentioned concerts among large gatherings. The warning advised US citizens in Moscow to avoid large gatherings for 48 hours.
According to a Russian media outlet, many of the concert hall’s audience went out soon after the explosion. However, many were trapped inside as the fire spread due to the explosion. The police reached the spot after receiving the information. About 70 ambulances were brought in, and rescue work started.
Several videos of the Moscow concert hall attack have already gone viral on social media. However, it was not possible to verify the authenticity of the videos. A journalist from that country present at the scene said that many people lay down on the ground to escape the attack, which lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes. When the firing stopped, people tried to crawl away from there.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained the attack as a terrorist attack. “The entire international community must condemn this heinous crime,” he said.
