Several assailants burst into a large concert hall in Moscow, on Friday, and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing at least 40 people and injuring more than 100.
The assailants also set fire to the venue in a brazen attack just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media, which couldn’t be independently verified.
It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the attackers after the raid.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the attack as a “huge tragedy” and said state authorities “are investigating this as terrorism”.
The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof, was the deadliest in Russia in years.
It came as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.
The Kremlin said they had informed President Vladimir Putin about the raid.
Assailants had burst into Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow’s western edge that can accommodate 6,200 people.
The attack occurred as crowds gathered for a famous Russian rock band Picnic performance.
Russia’s Federal Security Service reported 40 dead and over 100 injured.
Some Russian news reports suggested that more could have been trapped by the blaze that erupted after the assailants threw explosives.
The Health Ministry released a list of 145 injured.
The prosecutor’s office said several men in combat fatigues entered the concert hall and fired on concertgoers.
Repeated volleys of gunfire were seen in videos posted by Russian media and on Telegram channels.
One showed two men with rifles moving through the venue.
Another showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants had set it on fire This is as gunshots rang out incessantly in the background.
Other videos showed up to four attackers, armed with assault rifles and wearing caps, who were shooting screaming people at point-blank range.
The guards at the concert hall didn’t have guns. And some could have died at the start of the attack, Russian media reported.
Some Russian news outlets suggested that the assailants fled before special forces and riot police arrived.
Reports said police patrols were looking for several vehicles the attackers could use to escape.
The Islamic State group said in a statement, it attacked a large gathering in Krasnogorsk on Moscow’s outskirts.
The group claimed to have killed and wounded hundreds. It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the claim.
ADVERTISEMENT
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
