Moscow concert hall attack: What do we know so far? | Crime News

A minimum of 133 individuals have been killed and greater than 100 others injured after gunmen opened fireplace and set off explosives at a live performance corridor on the western fringe of Moscow.

Right here’s what we all know to date:

Crocus Metropolis Corridor

The Russian capital is a sprawling metropolis that’s residence to some 12 million individuals.

The Crocus Metropolis Corridor, which features a procuring centre and convention venue, lies in suburban Krasnogorsk, about 20km (12 miles) west of the Kremlin and alongside the Moscow ring highway.

Opened in 2009, the live performance corridor is a well-liked leisure venue with a capability for six,200 individuals.

Former United States President Donald Trump as soon as held a Miss Universe contest there.

The assault

The assault started on Friday night simply as individuals had been taking their seats for a sold-out present by Picnic, a well-liked rock band from the Soviet period.

As many as 5 males in fight fatigues entered the live performance corridor and opened fireplace on these inside.

Dave Primov, who was within the corridor throughout the assault, described chaotic scenes.

“There have been volleys of gunfire,” Primov informed The Related Press information company. “All of us received up and tried to maneuver towards the aisles. Individuals started to panic, began to run and collided with one another. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”

Russian investigators mentioned not less than 133 individuals had been killed, whereas greater than 100 others had been injured in one of many worst assaults to hit the nation in many years.

The attackers additionally set off explosives that ignited an enormous blaze that at one level lined as a lot as 12,900 sq. metres (139,000sq ft), in keeping with Russian information company Interfax.

Graphic movies posted on social media confirmed the gunmen firing repeatedly as they entered the constructing, and capturing individuals at point-blank vary.

One other video confirmed a person within the auditorium saying the attackers had set it on fireplace.

Helicopters had been introduced in to douse the flames from the air, as firefighters battled the blaze from the bottom. The fireplace was ultimately introduced below management early on Saturday.

The Emergency Conditions Ministry mentioned firefighters helped about 100 individuals escape by the constructing’s basement, whereas rescue operations had been additionally launched for individuals trapped on the roof.

TASS information company mentioned the band members of Picnic weren’t harmed and had been evacuated safely.

Hunt for the attackers

Russia’s Investigative Committee, the highest state legal investigation company, opened a “terrorist” investigation into the assault and the nationwide guard, Rosgvardia, was amongst models deployed to seek for the gunmen.

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s safety council and a key ally of President Vladimir Putin, has mentioned the Moscow assault reveals how critical the specter of terrorism is to Russia, TASS reported.

He added that those that carried out the assault can be held to account.

Russia’s FSB safety service has informed Putin that 11 individuals have been detained, together with 4 individuals immediately concerned within the assault, Interfax cited the Kremlin as saying.

A minimum of two suspects had been arrested within the Bryansk area, some 340km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow, following a automobile chase, mentioned politician Alexander Khinshtein, citing “preliminary data”. Different suspects fled into a close-by forest and are being pursued, he added.

The Kremlin didn’t instantly blame anybody for the assault, however some Russian politicians had been fast to accuse Ukraine.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied Ukraine’s involvement.

“Ukraine has by no means resorted to the usage of terrorist strategies,” he posted on X. “All the pieces on this warfare will likely be determined solely on the battlefield.”

ISIL claims duty

Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), an Afghan affiliate of ISIL (ISIS), claimed duty for the assault in a press release posted by its Amaq information company.

It mentioned its fighters had attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding a whole lot and inflicting nice destruction to the place earlier than they withdrew to their bases safely” after which escaped. The information company gave no additional particulars.

Russia has reported a number of incidents involving ISIL this month, with the FSB intelligence company saying on March 7 it foiled an assault by ISKP on a Moscow synagogue.

The US mentioned it had additionally warned of the heightened menace posed by “extremists” with imminent plans for an assault on “massive gatherings” in Moscow and had shared that discovering with the Russians. On Friday night time, a US official mentioned Washington had intelligence confirming ISIL’s declare of duty for the Crocus Metropolis Corridor assault.

Specialists mentioned the group had opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin lately.

“ISIS-Okay [ISKP] has been fixated on Russia for the previous two years, incessantly criticising Putin in its propaganda,” mentioned Colin Clarke of the Soufan Heart, a Washington-based analysis group.

Michael Kugelman of the Washington, DC-based Wilson Heart mentioned ISKP “sees Russia as being complicit in actions that recurrently oppress Muslims”.

What has Putin mentioned?

Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Saturday that every one these answerable for the Moscow assault can be recognized and punished.

“All of the perpetrators and organisers behind this crime will, inevitably, face a simply punishment. No matter who they’re, and who was directing them, we’ll determine and punish everybody who was behind this terrorist assault,” he mentioned in an tackle to the nation.

Putin additionally claimed the attackers had tried to flee in direction of Ukraine. He mentioned that preliminary data confirmed that some individuals in Ukraine had been ready to allow them to cross the border from Russia.

Sunday has been declared a nationwide day of mourning, he added.

Earlier, Putin wished a speedy restoration to the wounded victims and conveyed his because of docs who had handled the injured, Russia’s deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova was quoted as saying by Russian information companies after assembly with him.<

A minimum of 60 individuals wounded within the assault are in a critical situation, the Russian Well being Ministry mentioned.

Dozens of individuals lined up exterior the Gavrilov Blood Heart in Moscow to donate blood wanted to deal with victims of the assault, Russia’s RIA Novosti information company reported. The power is Russia’s largest blood transfusion centre.

What earlier assaults have focused Russia?

In October 2015, an ISIL-planted bomb exploded on a Russian passenger airplane over the Sinai desert, killing all 224 individuals on board, most of them Russians getting back from their holidays in Egypt.

The nation was additionally shaken by a collection of lethal assaults within the early 2000s.

In September 2004, about 30 Chechen fighters seized a college in Beslan in southern Russia taking a whole lot of individuals hostage. The siege resulted in a massacre two days later and greater than 330 individuals, about half of them youngsters, had been killed.

In October 2002, Chechen fighters stormed a theatre in Moscow taking about 800 individuals hostage within the auditorium. Russian particular forces launched a bid to rescue the captives two days later, by first subduing the attackers with a narcotic fuel. Some 41 Chechens died, in addition to 129 hostages, principally from the results of the fuel.

How has the world reacted to the Moscow assault?

• Chinese language President Xi Jinping despatched his “condolences” to Putin, China’s state information company Xinhua reported. Xi “careworn that China opposes all type of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist assault and firmly helps the Russian authorities’s efforts to safeguard its nationwide safety and stability”.
• White Home spokesman John Kirby mentioned: “The photographs are simply horrible and simply exhausting to observe, and our ideas clearly are going to be with the victims of this horrible, horrible capturing assault.”
• The European Union mentioned it was “shocked and appalled” by the assault. “The EU condemns any assaults in opposition to civilians. Our ideas are with all these Russian residents affected,” mentioned an EU spokesman.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned on X: “We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist assault in Moscow. Our ideas and prayers are with the households of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the federal government and the individuals of the Russian Federation on this hour of grief.”
• French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he “strongly condemns the terrorist assault claimed by the Islamic State”, in a press release launched by the Elysee Palace. “France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their family members and all of the Russian individuals,” it mentioned.

Germany, Afghanistan, Norway, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Venezuela, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Malaysia are amongst others who’ve condemned the assault.