(NEWSLINE PAPER),- On Friday, a popular concert venue complex near Moscow became the site of a horrific attack. Assailants armed with guns and incendiary devices stormed the venue, resulting in the death of at least 60 people and injuring 145 others. The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility for this attack.
The claim was made through a brief statement published by the ISIS-affiliated news agency, Amaq, on Telegram. However, no evidence was provided to support this claim.
The venue, known as Crocus City Hall, was captured on video during the attack. The footage shows the vast complex, which houses a music hall and a shopping center, engulfed in flames with smoke filling the air. According to state-run RIA Novosti, the attackers opened fire with automatic weapons and threw either a grenade or an incendiary bomb, sparking the fire. The assailants then reportedly fled the scene in a white Renault car.
The roof of the venue partially collapsed, as reported by state media Russia 24. More than six hours later, the fire was largely under control, with Moscow governor Andrey Vorobyov stating on Telegram that there were still some pockets of fire, but the fire had been mostly eliminated.
This attack, the deadliest on Moscow in decades, occurred less than a week after President Vladimir Putin secured another term in office in a stage-managed election. With the country’s attention on the war with neighboring Ukraine, Putin had emphasized national security in his pre-election message.
The attack broke out before a concert by the band Picnic. The band’s manager confirmed to state media that the performers were unharmed.
The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that unidentified individuals in camouflage broke into Crocus City Hall and began shooting before the concert started.
Video footage of the attack showed crowds of people in panic, huddling together, screaming, and ducking behind cushioned seats as gunshots echoed throughout the hall. One group was forced to break a large wall of windows outside the concert venue to escape the gunfire.
Footage showed an armed individual starting at least one fire inside the venue. The individual was seen carrying an object in their hand, and a bright flash of light from a large flame was visible as they walked off-screen.
Emergency response was swift, with a SWAT team called to the area and over 70 ambulance teams and doctors assisting victims. TASS reported that 145 people have been hospitalized, with 60 in a serious condition.
President Putin, who was informed about the attack, wished those injured a speedy recovery and expressed his gratitude to the doctors, according to state-run RIA-Novosti news agency.
Firefighters evacuated around 100 people from the building, and rescuers are still working to get people off the roof, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attack as a “terrible tragedy” and expressed his condolences to the victims’ loved ones. He also stated that he had given orders to provide all necessary assistance to those affected by the incident and announced the cancellation of all sports, cultural, and other public events in Moscow this weekend.
Source : CNN