Moscow: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned the terrorist attack in Moscow. He stated that the US stands with Russia in grieving the loss of life after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, which claimed the lives of 133 people.
On his official X account, Blinken stated the United States strongly condemns the March 22nd terror attack on Moscow. The US stands in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life in this horrific attack. As many as 133 people have lost their lives in this attack at the Crocus city hall music venue near Moscow and a search operation is underway.
The United States strongly condemns the March 22 terrorist attack in Moscow. We stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life after this horrific event.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 23, 2024
- According to earlier reports, US officials had informed Russian officials in private of the intelligence indicating an imminent attack. The Islamic State-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, is an Afghan-based offshoot of the group that the US learned in March was preparing an attack on Moscow. ISIS members have reportedly operated in Russia, according to US sources as well.
- According to US counterterrorism experts, the Islamic State has been attempting to escalate its foreign strikes following a period of relative quiet. The majority of those schemes in Europe have been foiled, leading to evaluations suggesting the group’s reduced potential. Eleven individuals, including four terrorists, who were directly involved in the terror attack on the Crocus city hall have been detained by Russian intelligence authorities.
- The sad events took place on Friday night at Crocus city hall in Krasnogorsk, in the western suburbs of the Russian capital, according to a Russian news source. With a 7,500 capacity, the concert hall was nearly full at the time of the terrorist attacks. The attack happened before the Russian rock group Picnic was scheduled to perform.
- At least five attackers, equipped with assault weapons and dressed in military-style clothing, opened fire on unarmed security officers stationed at the venue’s main gate, according to eyewitness testimony and smartphone footage. They then started firing randomly at the terrified guests who were running from the throng.
- They entered the performance hall and immediately started setting fire to the rows of chairs inside. Before long, the fire had spread to most of the structure, including the roof. According to investigators, the first results based on material found at the scene seem to corroborate that the terrorists used automatic weapons and some kind of combustible substance to light the building on fire.
- The investigative committee has said that it is carrying ballistic, genetic and fingerprint analysis based on the material evidence found on the scene. The ISIS has claimed responsibility for this attack in Moscow on Friday night. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a televised address on Saturday declared March 24 as a day of national mourning. He vowed to punish the terrorists and said whoever orchestrated and was responsible for this attack would pay and would be identified as it is an attack against Russia.
- He added that Russia would investigate the terror attack and said that all four perpetrators who were directly involved in the attack were all apprehended. He asserted that the investigative authorities are making every effort to identify the details of the attack.
