Mass casualty attack - Attack in Moscow: Islamic State claims responsibility

Multiple gunmen opened fire at a concert hall near Moscow.
The Russian domestic secret service FSB says more than 60 people died and more than 140 were injured.
There is talk of explosions. The building complex was engulfed in flames throughout the night.
Terrorist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the crime in a message on Telegram.

The Russian Prosecutor General confirmed reports that unknown persons wearing camouflage clothing had entered Crocus City Hall. According to SRF foreign editor Philipp Scholkmann, they fired randomly into the hall just before the start of a concert. The victims are said to be employees and visitors to the “Crocus City Hall” in the city of Krasnogorsk, northwest of Moscow. The Moscow region's health ministry says more than 140 people were injured and more than 60 died.

There is also talk of explosions, says Schalkman. The roof of the sprawling building complex caught fire – the fire burned through the night. At present some parts of the roof have collapsed. At least some unknown criminals are apparently still on the run. I don't know how many in total.

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed of the events “from the first minute”. Tas quoted Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Kolikova as saying that she wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

Government has announced aid

Russia's Central Intelligence Agency has opened a case of alleged acts of terrorism. The Interfax service cited that “all necessary measures” will be taken.

Valentina Matvienko, head of the Federation Council and head of the Russian parliament, has threatened retaliation against the masterminds. “Those behind this heinous crime will receive the deserved and inevitable punishment,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. At the same time, he announced that the government would do its best for the underprivileged. The government also announced that it would help.

Security precautions increased

In a statement, the Moscow Mayor's Office spoke of a great tragedy and expressed its condolences to the victims. It canceled all major weekend events. Security measures have been beefed up at the capital's airports and railway stations, TASS news agency reported.

Russian investigators responded with caution. This morning they released a video of the alleged weapons and ammunition seized at the scene. They are looking for the culprits, but they have not announced anything else.

The IS claimed responsibility for the attack

The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Telegram news service. Although Russian officials have yet to comment on the matter, Peter Newman, a terrorism expert at King's College London, believes the letter of responsibility is genuine. The White House also reportedly has intelligence that corroborates IS's claims.

According to Scholkmann, it is surprising that US officials recently warned of the possibility of such a terrorist attack in Russia. Several Western countries warned their citizens to avoid major events in Moscow. However, it is unclear to what extent there is a correlation.

A statement released by the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, that evening rejected any suggestion that Ukraine was involved in the attack.