At least 137 people (including three children) died and 150 were injured when four men in camouflage clothing carrying automatic rifles opened fire on attendees in the Crocus City concert hall in the Russian capital Moscow last night, announced Russian security service FSB.
The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry immediately called the shooting a "terrorist attack," which was confirmed when terrorist group Islamic State (IS) claimed the attack on Friday night on its Telegram channel, according to news agencies Reuters and AFP.
"Fighters of Islamic State this evening attacked a large gathering of Christians in the city of Krasnogorsk on the outskirts of Moscow," the message read. "In the process, they killed and wounded hundreds of people and caused major destruction at the site before safely retreating to their bases."
US officials also confirmed that IS was responsible for the attack; American intelligence services reportedly gathered information earlier in March that an Afghan branch of IS called ISIS-K was planning an attack in Moscow.
11 suspects arrested
On Saturday morning, the death toll was first said to be 93, which was later adjusted to 115 by the Russian Investigative Committee on Saturday in a new balance sheet on Telegram. However, the figure could still rise considerably, as hundreds of people were present in the building at the time.
Meanwhile, 11 people have already been arrested in the investigation into the attack, including "the four perpetrators," the Kremlin reported. Tajik passports were also reportedly found in a getaway car in addition to weapons of war.
Footage on Telegram and X shows at least four gunmen in camouflage clothing opening fire on attendees in the building's main reception hall, and shooting several people in cold blood. They then continue walking towards the concert hall itself where they start shooting as well. The members of the Russian rock group Piknik, which was due to perform there, remained unharmed.
A short video released by the Russian commission investigating the attack on Saturday morning shows that weapons and ammunition were also found in the venue, namely a Kalashnikov-type machine gun and cartridge magazines. Other footage on social media shows that a large fire was also raging on the roof of the building, where several people reportedly were also located.
Police and emergency services arrived at the scene en masse. According to news agency RIA, at least 70 ambulances were sent to the scene of the shooting. The Ministry of Emergency Situations said three helicopters were also deployed to extinguish the fire.
The Kremlin said that four of the arrested suspects were on their way to the Russian-Ukrainian border and allegedly had contact with people in Ukraine, but Ukraine's military intelligence service GUR said that the Kremlin and Russian special services are themselves responsible for the attack.
The attack was "a planned and deliberate provocation" by the Russian special services and President Vladimir Putin, with the intention of blaming it on Ukraine and justifying the invasion, said GUR. "The aim is to justify even heavier attacks on Ukraine and the total mobilisation of Russia."
Credit: Belga
Meanwhile, the Belgian Foreign Ministry wrote on social media that it was "shocked" by the shooting. "Our condolences go to the families of all victims of gratuitous violence."
On the Foreign Affairs website, an update was also added to the travel advice for Russia on Friday evening: travel in the region where the attack took place "is strongly discouraged."
"The city authorities decided to suspend all mass events in Moscow for the time being. The Belgian community in Moscow is advised to stay informed about the evolution of the situation through reliable sources (such as TASS) and carefully follow the instructions of the security forces," advises Foreign Affairs.
In general, all travel to the Russian Federation remains discouraged.
Update: This article was updated on Sunday around 16:45 to include the increased death toll.
