133 dead and 140 wounded in violent attack on Moscow music venue
Russian authorities have reportedly detained 11 suspects, including four gunmen
This story was updated on Saturday, March 23
133 people are confirmed to have died, and a further 140 wounded, following a violent armed attack on a music venue on the outskirts of Moscow.
The attack took place yesterday evening (March 22) at Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow ahead of a performance by the rock band, Piknik.
The BBC reports that at around 8:PM (GMT+3), gunmen dressed in camouflage burst into the foyer of the venue and began shooting people and random, before proceeding into the concert itself.
Witnesses have detailed a "crush," as panicked crowds rushed towards the stage to escape gunfire — with the venue at some point in the attack became engulfed in fire.
The BBC reports that many of the victims of the attack have died of bullet wounds or smoke inhalation. The death toll currently stands at 133 but is expected to rise "dramatically," - with authorities reporting that over 6,000 tickets had been sold for the concert.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says that it has now arrested 11 people suspected of being behind the attack, with "four directly involved." While their identities have yet to be revealed to the public, the FSB has said that they are "foreign nationals."
Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), an ISIS off-shoot based in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on Telegram.
However Russian authorities are yet to comment on the claim, with Russian President Vladimir Putin alleging the attackers "are linked" to Ukraine — claiming those arrested were "attempting to flee" to the Ukrainian border, though no evidence has been provided for this account.
Ukrainian intelligence officials have labelled this as "more lies" from Russia, with Andriy Yusov of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Directorate of Intelligence telling Reuters: “Ukraine was of course not involved in this terror attack. Ukraine is defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territory and is fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians.”
More to follow.