ISIS Takes Credit for Deadly Assault at Moscow Concert Venue Resulting in over 60 Fatalities

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack at a concert hall complex near Moscow on Friday. The assailants entered the venue with guns and incendiary devices, resulting in the death of at least 60 people and injuring 145.

The terror group made a brief statement via ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday, claiming responsibility for the attack. However, no evidence was provided to support this claim.

Video footage from the Crocus City Hall shows the vast complex, which houses both a music hall and a shopping center, engulfed in flames with smoke rising into the air. According to state-run RIA Novosti, armed individuals reportedly used automatic weapons and threw a grenade or incendiary bomb to start the fire. They were said to have fled the scene in a white Renault car.

State media Russia 24 has reported that the roof of the venue has partially collapsed.

The fire was mostly extinguished more than six hours later, with Moscow governor Andrey Vorobyov stating that there are still some small areas of fire remaining.

Friday's attack in Moscow, which was the deadliest terror incident in decades, occurred less than a week after President Vladimir Putin's re-election. Putin won by a large majority in a highly controlled election, further solidifying his power in the country that he has led since the early 2000s.

Before Russians went to the polls, Putin emphasized national security due to the ongoing war with Ukraine.

The violence erupted just before a concert by the band Picnic, as reported by Russia 24.

Unidentified individuals wearing camouflage attire entered Crocus City Hall and began firing shots just before the concert was set to begin, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office as reported by TASS.

This screen grab from video shows armed men inside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Russia's Moscow region. CNN can not verify whether these are armed attackers or Russian authorities moving in.

This image captured from a video displays armed individuals at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow region of Russia. It is unclear whether these individuals are armed attackers or Russian authorities entering the venue.

Social media posts have been circulating the image.

Video footage captured the chaos of the attack, with people huddling together in fear, screaming, and seeking cover behind seats as gunshots rang out in the hall. One group near a wall of windows had to smash them to escape the gunfire, as shown in a video obtained by CNN.

Another video, verified by CNN, shows an armed individual igniting a fire inside the venue. The person is seen holding something in their hand before disappearing from view, followed by a bright flash of light indicating a large flame.

A SWAT team was called to the area to assist, along with over 70 ambulance teams and doctors helping the victims.

According to TASS, 145 individuals have been hospitalized. Out of these, 60 people are in a “serious condition.”

The Kremlin stated that Putin has been briefed about the attack and is receiving regular updates on the situation.

On Saturday, the president sent well wishes for a quick recovery to those injured in the attack, as reported by the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency. Additionally, he expressed his appreciation to the medical staff involved.

Around 100 people were evacuated from the building by firefighters, TASS reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the attack a “terrible tragedy.”

I want to extend my condolences to the families and friends of the victims. I have instructed to make sure that all those affected by the incident receive the help they need," Sobyanin stated.

Sobyanin announced on Telegram that he has decided to cancel all sports, cultural, and other public events in Moscow for this upcoming weekend.

Picnic’s manager told state media that the performers were unharmed.

Shaman, the band’s singer, said he would pay for the funerals of the victims and treatment for those injured.

"We are like a big family, where everyone's problems are shared. A famous singer, who is known for his patriotic beliefs, shared a video on Vkontakte, a popular Russian social media platform with over 600,000 followers.

He expressed, "My fellow citizens, throughout history, our nation has been brought together by challenges and hardships. These difficulties have only made Russia more resilient and powerful. We will not be intimidated or defeated this time either."

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ISIS claims responsibility for Moscow attack that killed 40

02:51

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CNN

The US embassy in Russia recently issued a warning about potential attacks targeting large gatherings in Moscow, such as concerts. They advised US citizens to avoid such events. Following the recent attack at Crocus City Hall, the embassy has now advised against traveling to Russia.

Since November, there has been consistent information from two sources indicating that ISIS-K was planning to carry out attacks in Russia.

ISIS-K, short for ISIS-Khorasan, is the affiliate of the terror group operating in Afghanistan and nearby areas.

The US government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, possibly targeting large gatherings like concerts. This led to the State Department issuing a public advisory, according to US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

Watson mentioned that the US government also shared this information with Russian authorities as part of their 'duty to warn' policy.

In a speech on Tuesday, Putin criticized American warnings as "provocative," accusing them of resembling blackmail and aiming to intimidate and destabilize Russian society.

According to RIA, Russian authorities stopped several ISIS-related incidents in March. On March 3, six ISIS members were killed in a counter-terrorist operation in the Ingush Karabulak. On March 7, security services uncovered and "neutralized" a cell of the banned organization Vilayat Khorasan in the Kaluga region, who were planning an attack on a synagogue in Moscow. Lastly, on March 20, the commander of an ISIS combat group was arrested.

A US official said Friday that Washington had no reason to doubt ISIS’ claim that it was responsible for the latest attack.

International response

Ukraine denied any involvement in the attack, despite being in a war with Russia for over two years.

In a post on X, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak stated, "Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods." He expressed concern that Russia may use the attack to escalate the conflict and increase military operations in Ukraine under the guise of "military propaganda."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the terrorist attack that took place today, as stated by his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq.

In a released statement, the secretary-general expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and government of the Russian Federation. He also wished a quick recovery to those who were injured in the attack.

The UN Security Council condemned the attack as "heinous and cowardly" in a separate statement. Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to Putin on Saturday through a report from Chinese state media, acknowledging the serious terrorist attack that resulted in heavy casualties.

French President Emmanuel Macron joined in condemning the attack, expressing France's solidarity with the victims, their loved ones, and all the Russian people, as reported by AFP and Reuters.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also denounced the attack, showing their support for the victims.

CNN’s Eva Rothenberg, Paul Murphy and Hannah Strange contributed to this reporting.

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