More than 60 dead in Moscow attack – search for the perpetrators
Published: Saturday, Mar 23rd 2024, 10:10
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More than 60 people have been killed in the suspected terrorist attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow. This was announced by the Russian State Investigative Committee early on Saturday morning. At the same time, the authorities reported that almost 150 people were injured at the Crocus City Hall event center. The unknown gunmen, who had shot wildly before a rock concert the previous evening, were on the run. Strong units of the National Guard were searching for them.
The background to the incident was completely unclear and the Russian security authorities were investigating terrorism. The Islamic State terrorist militia claimed responsibility for the attack, as the IS mouthpiece Amak reported on the internet, citing unnamed sources. Experts assumed that this letter of confession was genuine.
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) currently has no information about Swiss victims, it was reported on Saturday in response to an inquiry from Keystone-SDA. The Swiss representation in Moscow is in contact with the relevant authorities.
Armed men in camouflage uniform
It was also unclear how the men in camouflage uniforms and heavily armed were able to get into the concert hall. The Russian capital Moscow is considered a safe city with a large contingent of security forces, surveillance cameras and metal detectors in many places. However, the secret services of the USA and other Western countries had warned of an imminent attack at the beginning of March. President Vladimir Putin dismissed this as a Western provocation after his re-election last Sunday.
When the shots were fired, the visitors in the huge event center ran for their lives, as videos showed. Individual dead or injured people lying on the floor could also be seen. According to eyewitness reports on social media, many visitors to Crocus City Hall took a long time to get out of the building. Investigators later found weapons and lots of ammunition. The authorities collected empty shell casings by the bagful.
The building also caught fire during the attack. The Russian Ministry of Civil Defense stated that an area of 13,000 square meters was in flames. Fire-fighting helicopters were deployed. The roof is said to have collapsed. Even though the fire was said to be under control, open flames were still shooting out of the building early on Saturday morning, as reported by the Tass agency. Dozens of ambulances were deployed and many buses were used to bring people to safety.
Crocus City Hall has several event halls, which are also used for trade fairs. It is one of the most popular leisure venues for Muscovites and people in the surrounding area of the Russian capital. Stars have also performed there time and again. On Friday evening there was supposed to be a concert by the Russian rock band Piknik.
Putin sends get well wishes
According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the events "from the very first minute". According to the Interfax agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he was constantly receiving all important information about the events and the measures taken via the relevant services. Putin later wished the injured a speedy recovery and thanked the doctors for their efforts.
The head of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, threatened the masterminds of the attack with retribution. "Those behind this terrible crime will receive the deserved and inevitable punishment," she wrote on her Telegram channel. She also announced that the state would do everything in its power to help the bereaved.
Ukraine denies any involvement
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry rejected the suspicion of Ukrainian involvement. In an initial reaction, the USA also warned against making any connection with Ukraine. "There is no evidence that Ukraine or Ukrainians had anything to do with the shooting," said the communications director of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, in Washington. Not much could be said about the details yet, but at this early stage he strongly advised against the assumption that there was a connection to Ukraine. The US State Department advised American citizens on the ground to avoid large gatherings of people.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted indignantly to this statement from Washington. It was rash of the USA to exonerate Ukraine, she said on Russian television. "If the USA or any other country has reliable facts, they should provide them to the Russian side." If there are no such facts, neither the White House nor anyone else has the right to grant absolution in advance, said Zakharova.
UN Secretary-General condemns attack
The European Union is shocked and appalled, wrote EU Commission spokesperson Peter Stano on the X platform (formerly Twitter). The EU condemns any attacks on civilians. "Our thoughts are with all Russian citizens affected." UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Security Council also condemned the attack.
The Federal Foreign Office wrote on X of a "terrible attack on innocent people". The background must be clarified quickly. "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of the victims," it continued. Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) also spoke on X of a "cowardly attack on people who simply wanted to listen to music".
As a consequence of the attack, all theaters and museums in Moscow, including world-famous ones such as the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum, will remain closed this weekend. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had previously said that all major events in Europe's largest city had been canceled. The authorities also canceled mass events in the Moscow region.
In 2002, Chechen gunmen seized 850 people in a musical theater. On the fourth day of the drama, the domestic secret service stunned the hostage-takers and the hostages with a gas. The terrorists were shot dead. 135 hostages died, most of them due to inadequate medical care.
©Keystone/SDA
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