New Delhi: At least 115 people have been killed as gunmen dressed in camouflage shot into a crowded concert hall on Friday night, Russian authorities said.
At least 11 people in connection with the attack have been arrested, the Kremlin said on Saturday, per Reuters.
According to DW, the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, which probes major crimes, said 107 people were recovering in hospital on Saturday, DW reported.
The terrorist attack comes just days after President Vladimir Putin won with a landslide victory in an election where he faced no serious competition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with the Russian government and people, in response to the attack.
“We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow,” Modi said in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter). “India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.”
We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2024
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The attack happened at the Crocus City Hall, a large music venue on Moscow’s western edge that can accommodate 6,200 people. It left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof.
It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia in years and came as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year, AP reported.
Some Russian news reports suggested more victims could have been trapped by the blaze that erupted after the assailants threw explosives, the news agency cited some Russian reports as saying.
Dave Primov, who was in the hall during the attack, described panic and chaos when the attack began.
“There were volleys of gunfire,” Primov told the AP. “We all got up and tried to move toward the aisles. People began to panic, started to run and collided with each other. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms”, his spokesman said.
“The Secretary-General conveys his deep condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the Government of the Russian Federation,” spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement, per DW.
This story, which was published on March 23 at 10:30 am, has been republished with the updated death toll and news of arrest, on the same day at 3:50 pm.
