At least 133 people were killed in an indiscriminate shooting terror attack on Friday at the Crocus City Hall concert venue, located just 20 kilometers from the Kremlin (the presidential palace) in Moscow, the Russian capital. Islamic State-Khorasan, or IS-Khorasan, a regional branch of the Islamic State terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin attributed the attack to Ukraine, stating that "the terrorists headed to Ukraine" without providing further details.
At around 7:40 p.m. on Friday, Russian citizens attending a concert at the concert hall were attacked by gunmen who opened fire with automatic rifles and set fires. As of 10 A.M. on the 24th, at least 133 people were dead and more than 100 injured. This marks the worst terrorist attack in Russia in 20 years since the Beslan school siege by Chechen rebels in 2004, which claimed 314 lives.
S-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack through the IS-linked Amaq News Agency shortly afterward. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris also stated, “IS-Khorasan is responsible.”
However, Russia has raised the possibility of links to Ukraine after arresting 11 people, including four key suspects. “They fled in the direction of Ukraine, and initial information suggests that they were trying to escape to Ukraine through a window prepared for them on the Ukrainian side of the border,” Putin said in his address to the nation on Saturday. “We will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists responsible for this atrocity.”
The U.S. National Security Council responded immediately, stating, “There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever.” “All the trash, including President Putin, is trying to blame others for what happened in Moscow yesterday,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “They always use the same method.”
The United States warned Russian authorities in early March about a potential terrorist attack targeting large gatherings in Moscow, according to the White House. These intelligence disclosures are believed to have been intended to deter Russia from shifting blame for the attack onto Ukraine and the West, and to use the failure to prevent the terror attack as a rationale for escalating attacks on Ukraine.
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