On March 22, a group of terrorists carried out a horrific attack on a large music theater in Moscow. The terrorists opened fire on the unsuspecting gathering, killing over 60 people and injuring over 100. The assailants also set the facility on fire. The incident comes just after Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his fifth term by winning 87% of the vote.
The incident occurred during a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic at Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on the outskirts of Moscow that can accommodate 6,200 people. The Investigative Committee, Russia’s leading criminal investigative agency, announced early Saturday that the death toll had exceeded 60, while health officials created a list of 145 injured people. 115 people, including five children, needed to be hospitalized.
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ToggleHow did the Moscow blast occur?
On Friday night, a squad of at least five shooters dressed in camouflage and equipped with automatic guns broke into Crocus City Hall, where a throng had gathered to see the veteran rock band Picnic perform. They shot indiscriminately into the crowd and set off explosives, resulting in a large conflagration.
The attack, which enveloped the performance hall in flames and caused its roof to collapse, is one of the bloodiest in recent Russian history. It coincides with Russia’s ongoing battle in Ukraine, which is nearing its third year. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the incident an “immense tragedy.”.
Who is behind the terrorist strike in Russia?
Soon after the attack, an Islamic State (ISIL) group, ISIS-Khorasan, claimed responsibility for the act in a statement distributed on linked social media outlets. According to the ISIS-K group’s statement, its members conducted an attack on the outskirts of Moscow, killing hundreds and causing severe damage to the venue before returning unhurt to their strongholds.
According to sources, many Islamic State-related attacks happened in Russia this month. Among these was the reported killing of six purported gang members during a skirmish in Ingushetia, located in the dangerous Caucasus area. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on March 7 that it had foiled an ISIL assault in Khorasan Province (ISKP), an Afghan offshoot of ISIL, aimed at a synagogue in Moscow.
The US has also issued warnings about the heightened danger level. Shortly after the FSB revelation, the US embassy in Moscow issued an alert stating that ‘extremists’ were organizing an impending attack on the city. Later that night, a US official acknowledged intelligence that supports ISIL’s claim of responsibility for the attack on Crocus City Hall.
How did international leaders respond to the Moscow terror attack?
World leaders have condemned the incident. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed astonishment and strongly condemned the incident, while the UN Security Council blasted it as a “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack.”
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the Islamic State-claimed assault and extended solidarity with the victims, their families, and the Russian people. “France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their loved ones, and all the Russian people,” the president was reported as saying.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the incident as a “heinous act of terrorism” and expressed support for the Russian government and people. “We firmly condemn the horrific terrorist assault on Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. “In this hour of grief, India stands in solidarity with the Russian government and people,” the Prime Minister posted on social networking site X (previously Twitter).
Spain was similarly shocked by the events in Moscow, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the act as “odious” and offered complete sympathy with the victims and their families.
Which terrorist group was responsible for the Moscow bombing?
ISIS-K, a terrorist organization called after an ancient designation for the Khorasan area that includes portions of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, formed in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014, swiftly acquiring recognition for its severe cruelty.
Despite being one of the most active regional affiliates of the Islamic State militant group, ISIS-K’s membership has declined since its peak in 2018. According to media accounts, one of the primary causes has been the high losses sustained by both US and Taliban forces in the region.
According to reports, the US intercepted communications showing that the organization carried out twin attacks in Iran earlier this year, killing almost 100 people.
In September 2022, ISIS-K members claimed responsibility for a fatal suicide attack at the Russian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The organization was also responsible for an attack on Kabul’s international airport in 2021, which killed 13 US servicemen and dozens of civilians amid the chaotic US departure from the country.
Before the Islamic organization claimed credit for the Crocus City Hall attack, Russia threatened Ukraine, stating that it would discover and destroy Ukraine’s senior authorities if they were related to the gun attack outside Moscow.