Gunmen wearing camouflage had opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers close to Moscow on Friday, killing about 60 people and injuring 145 in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.
This is now the deadliest attack in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege where gunmen had shot at civilians with bullets just before Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat the Crocus City Hall just west of the capital.
Several verified video showed people taking their seats in the hall, then rushing for the exits as gunfire repeatedly echoed above screams. Other video clips had shown men shooting at groups of people. Some victims were shown lying motionless in pools of blood.
Russian investigators have said that the death toll surpassed 60. Health officials have said that about 145 people were wounded, out of which about 60 persons were in critical condition.
In the 2004 Beslan school siege, Islamist militants took over 1,000 people, including hundreds of children, hostage.
The Russian investigators have also published pictures of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon, along with vests filled with multiple spare magazines and bags of spent bullet casings.
Meanwhile, the Islamic State, a militant group that had once sought control over areas of Iraq and Syria, have claimed responsibility for the attack. The group’s Amaq agency have made the revelation on Telegram.
The fate of the attackers is unckear as at this time, as firefighters battled a massive blaze and emergency services cleared out hundreds of people while parts of the venue’s roof collapsed.
Islamic State had said that its fighters had attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely.” No further detail has been given at this time.
The United States’s intelligence has also confirmed Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the shooting.
A U.S. official who begged anonymous had on Friday said that Washington had warned Moscow in recent weeks of the possibility of an attack.
The Russian Government has yet to make a statement, nor say who it thinks is responsible.
