An affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), based primarily in Afghanistan and Central Asia, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Russian and American intelligence sources have confirmed to media outlets that there is "no reason to doubt" the ISKP's claim of responsibility.
In its statement, the ISKP said its fighters attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, "killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely." The statement gave no further detail other than providing praise for the "Islamic fighters" who carried out the attack.
On Friday evening, March 22, the Russian rock band Picnic was scheduled to perform to a sold-out crowd at a 6,200-seat concert venue within the city hall's massive complex. The city hall is located in the city of Krasnogorsk, directly to the west of the capital and just 12 miles from the Kremlin.
Right before Picnic was about to perform, at around 8 p.m. local time, as concertgoers were being ushered in, at least four masked gunmen wearing camouflage entered the venue and opened fire with automatic weapons.
Many children and their parents were also at the hall attending a dancing competition. At least three children were reportedly killed in the attack. It is unclear if they were killed at the concert or the competition.
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During the attack on the concert hall, the perpetrators also sprayed flammable liquid and started a fire. Most of the city hall caught fire soon after.
Firefighters and other emergency services immediately responded, battling the massive blaze and evacuating thousands of people. Helicopters were also brought in to help fight the fire, but much of the roof at the concert venue collapsed before the fire could be controlled.
Initial reports indicated a death toll of 40 and over 100 injured. As of press time, the number of people killed has risen to at least 115, including three children.
Another 121 people have been hospitalized. The Russian Ministry of Health's data stated that 44 people, including two children, are in "serious" condition, while another 16 people, including one child, are in "extremely serious" condition.
The Health Ministry's report includes the identities of 41 of the 115 people known to have been killed in the attack. The youngest victim identified so far is a 33-year-old, and the oldest is 71.
The Crocus City Hall terrorist attack is the deadliest terror attack to hit Russia since the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis and massacre that killed over 300 people. (Related: ISIS claims responsibility for twin bombings in Iran that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more.)
Suspects detained, were trying to flee to Ukraine
The Federal Security Service (FSB) has confirmed that it has detained at least 11 suspects, including four people allegedly directly responsible for the attack.
One Russian lawmaker confirmed to state media that two of the suspects were detained following a car chase in the Bryansk Oblast, southwest of Moscow. Russian media have published a grainy CCTV picture of two of the alleged attackers in a white car.
The Bryansk region is right next to the northeastern border of Ukraine, suggesting that the suspects were trying to escape Russian authorities by seeking refuge in Kyiv. The FSB even noted that the suspects "had contacts on the Ukrainian side" who would have helped usher them to safety.
This information has made multiple Russian politicians accuse Ukraine of being involved in the attack, an accusation that Kyiv vehemently denies.
"Now we know in which country these bloody b------- planned to hide from persecution – Ukraine," wrote Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"Ukraine and its patrons are the main stakeholders in the terrorist attack at Crocus," said Russian member of parliament and former military officer Andrey Kartapalov, who added that "there must be a clear answer on the battlefield."
Watch this short clip from a man at the concert hall during the shooting.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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