Moscow Concert Hall Attack: Death Toll Rises To 93, 11 Suspects Detained; Key Developments

The death toll from the violence at Moscow Concert Hall in Russia is rising, with 93 reported dead and over 150 wounded after a group of gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow on Friday. While the ISIS has claimed the responsibility for the attack, Russian authorities have detained eleven individuals suspected with direct involvement in the assault, reported AP. The attack came just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin secured an electoral landslide victory. Here are details of what went down since the first bullet was fired in Moscow: 

Death-Toll Rises To 93, Rescue Ops Underway 

Authorities reported that a minimum of 93 individuals including three children lost their lives in the terror attack. Photographs circulated by Russian state media on Saturday depicted a lineup of emergency vehicles remaining stationed outside the remnants of Crocus City Hall. This venue served as both a shopping mall and a music venue has a capacity exceeding 6,000 individuals. 

Russia Detains Eleven Suspects 

So far, eleven people have been arrested. Russia's Investigative Committee stated that four of those detained were directly involved in the attack. These individuals were captured in the Bryansk region of western Russia, which is "near the border with Ukraine," as per the committee's announcement. The attackers were reportedly apprehended following a car search. 

ISIS Claims The Bullet Shower 

The Islamic State group asserted responsibility for the attack in a declaration disseminated on affiliated social media channels. A US intelligence official told AP that the American intelligence agencies had received information indicating that the group's faction in Afghanistan was plotting an attack in Moscow, which they subsequently conveyed to Russian authorities. 

As per reports from the AP, the IS declaration framed its assertion as an assault directed towards Christians, Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi. But a specialist on the terrorist organisation, noted that it seemed to mirror the ISIS group's tactic of "launching attacks wherever possible as a component of a worldwide effort to combat 'infidels and apostates everywhere.' 

Geopolitics In Aftermath Of Attack 

As Russia is in war with Ukraine for nearly three years now, Certain Russian legislators pointed fingers at Ukraine for the involvement in the gunfires. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, refuted any implication of involvement. 

“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.” He further added that, Well before the incidents at Crocus City Hall unfolded, foreign embassies based in Moscow had issued public alerts about the potential occurrence of such violent outbreaks. 

Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall (Moscow Region, Russia). It makes no sense whatsoever.

First of all, Ukraine has been fighting with the Russian army for more than two years. And everything in this war will be decided only…

— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) March 22, 2024

Concert Turned To Massacre  

The gunmen entered the hall amidst a gathering of spectators awaiting a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic. Intruders stormed a spacious concert hall in Moscow on Friday, unleashing gunfire upon the crowd. This resulted in the deaths of over 90 individuals, with more than 150 sustaining injuries.  

The assailants also set ablaze to the venue in a bold act of aggression as a result the roof of the hall also collapsed. Several Russian media outlets hinted that additional individuals might have been ensnared by the inferno ignited following the assailants' detonation of explosives.