“After the tragic terrorist attack in Moscow, which resulted in the loss of 60 lives and left 100 others wounded, the Russian Embassy in India lowered the Russian flag to half-mast. In a statement on social media platform X, the Embassy expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to all those injured.”
The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack at the concert venue complex near Moscow on Friday night, as reported by CNN.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday denounced the ‘heinous act’ and conveyed solidarity with the Russian government and its citizens. “We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our sympathies 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,” PM Modi tweeted from his official X handle.
On Friday (local time), a gang of armed men reportedly broke into the Moscow performance hall Crocus City Hall, started shooting at the audience, and detonated explosives. In a brief statement released on Telegram on Friday by the ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq, the terror group claimed responsibility for the attack. ISIS, however, offered no proof to back up this assertion. The Crocus City Hall performance venue was on fire, and the air was filled with dense, black smoke, according to video footage taken at the scene of the attack. Additionally, it showed terrified residents cowering behind padded seats, crying, and huddling together as gunfire erupted across the large auditorium.
Government-owned The armed people “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire,” according to RIA Novosti. After that, the news agency said, they “allegedly fled in a white Renault car”. Shortly after, the New York Times said, US officials also verified the allegation made by the Islamic State. The US officials claimed, according to the New York Times, that they had discreetly informed Russian authorities of the intelligence suggesting an imminent strike.
According to sources, the US learned in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, the branch of the organisation based in Afghanistan, was preparing an attack on Moscow. According to a US official, ISIS fighters have been active in Russia. US counterterrorism officials claim that the Islamic State has been attempting to escalate its foreign assaults following a period of relative quiet. The majority of those schemes in Europe have been foiled, leading to evaluations suggesting the group’s reduced potential.
The NYT reports that the incident in Moscow on Friday, which came after the one in Iran in January, may force it to reevaluate its capacity to launch an attack outside of its own country. “ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years,” Colin P. Clarke, a counterterrorism specialist with the Soufan Group, a New York-based security consulting business, said, often attacking President Vladimir Putin in its propaganda. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria,” he stated.
The New York Times alleged that US officials had privately informed Russian officials about the intelligence indicating an imminent strike in addition to publicly alerting them to a potential attack on March 7. However, it is unclear what further information Washington sent to Moscow officials in addition to what was included in the public alert.
Before two bombs in January that left at least 103 people dead and 211 injured at a memorial event for Iran’s former top commander, Qassim Suleimani, who was murdered by a US drone strike four years prior, the US had also warned Iran of a potential attack. For the incident as well, ISIS-K took credit.
The deadliest terror attack on Moscow in decades is currently taking place, and regional governor Andrey Vorobyov stated that every effort is being made to rescue lives. More than 70 ambulance teams, physicians, and SWAT teams were on the scene helping the casualties. The Russian Health Ministry told TASS that 115 people, including five children, were admitted to the hospital. There are sixty persons in “serious condition.” In order to aid in the treatment of victims, Moscow citizens are urged to give blood by Moscow City Duma Chairman Alexey Shaposhnikov, who stated that “this is a matter of life and death for dozens of people,” according to CNN.
