At least 40 killed and more than 100 wounded in Moscow concert hall attack

Unconfirmed sources have indicated that a minimum of 40 individuals lost their lives and over 100 sustained injuries during the most severe act of terrorism Russia has seen in recent times. The attackers, dressed in combat gear, unleashed gunfire and detonated explosives in a large music venue on the outskirts of Moscow.

Pictures revealed the Crocus City Hall being consumed by a fire. Videos surfaced from the incident at the concert hall, demonstrating that four or more shooters armed with automatic weapons were firing as alarmed Russians attempted to flee from danger.

A video captured three men dressed in military clothing shooting their rifles at individuals lying on the ground inside the entrance of the music venue. There were also indications of explosions, demonstrated by the loud noises in additional footage of the incident. According to reports from various sources, there were a minimum of two explosions that occurred within the concert hall premises on the evening of Friday.

A video that was shared on the internet revealed shocking sights of certain individuals pleading for assistance while standing on the rooftop of the music venue that was on fire. Meanwhile, another video displayed pictures of casualties receiving medical attention on the pavement outside of the establishment, with visible bullet wounds.

The authors of the raid have not come forward yet, and the government is treating it as terrorism. Sobyanin announced that all public events for the weekend are cancelled because of the attack. Additionally, Russian railroads and other important organizations are strengthening security measures. Authorities are closely analyzing the situation.

The leader of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, expressed deep sadness about the assault. A whopping 70 ambulances were sent to the location of the incident.

In the beginning of this month, the United States along with other western nations gave out alerts about potential acts of terror in Russia, cautioning their citizens from attending events that see large public turnout. On the 8th of March, the embassy released a statement saying they were keeping a close eye on credible reports of extremist elements who were actively conspiring to strike at crowded places in Moscow, such as musical concerts. As a consequence, U.S. nationals were advised not to participate in events with large gatherings in the subsequent two days.

Emergency services reported that the assailants fired their automatic weapons at the entrance of the building while a concert was taking place. A fire subsequently broke out. Officials have stated that the attack was executed by a maximum of five people, but additional participants cannot be ruled out based on video footage.

An alternative footage depicted individuals hollering, proceeding on their fours and palms while exiting the music concert venue or rushing down sets of stairs. As outlined by Russian media, squads of riot police were deployed to the vicinity to assist with evacuation proceedings. Subsequently, Speznaz divisions from the Russian national guard initiated an assault on the premise on Friday evening. As indicated by the Russian news outlet Baza, certain assailants may have eluded capture.

The occurrence of gunfire at the concert venue brought to mind some of the dreadful terrorist attacks that have taken place in Europe. The assault on the Bataclan located in Paris back in November of 2015 is an example. It is possible that Russian citizens could remember the terrorist attack on Nord Ost in Moscow in 2002. This attack was particularly heinous as it involved gunmen taking hostages at a theater and is still one of the most nefarious incidents in Russia's recorded history.

According to the Russian news agency 112, which focuses on reporting on criminal incidents, around 40 people have lost their lives and over 100 have been injured. The situation with the attackers is uncertain as of Friday evening, as 100 individuals who were taking shelter in the basement of the building were rescued by emergency services. It remains unclear if the police have managed to neutralize the threat posed by the attackers.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for national security in the White House, expressed his distress over the upsetting footage of the attack. The White House is unaware of any involvement of Ukraine in the incident, as stated by Kirby. According to reports, Russia is currently engaged in a significant conflict within the borders of Ukraine.

According to a witness who spoke to the Mash Telegram channel, there were a minimum of five attackers, all of whom had facial hair.

The post stated that the individuals behaved like experienced combatants. They eliminated the guards and those by the entrance upon entering the establishment, and proceeded to barricade the primary access point.

The individual stated that the terrorists are in possession of [Kalashnikov] assault rifles. They are wearing vests that are carrying different kinds of ammunition. It appears that two assailants are holding backpacks, which may contain Molotov cocktails.

The assault occurred during a completely filled performance of Piknik, a Russian rock band. Crocus City Hall is a well-liked and immense music location in the Moscow oblast.

The alerts issued by the embassies of Western nations emerged soon after Russia announced that it had prevented a scheme to carry out a shooting by an Afghan organization associated with the Islamic State.

Not long ago, the Russian government conducted a number of surprise attacks against radicalized Islamist fighters in Ingushetia. As a result, violent exchanges took place between the police and the militants.

It was not certain if this was the assault mentioned in the cautionary message.

Since 2017, Russia has not experienced a major terrorist attack within its own borders. However, there have been tragic instances in the past, such as the bombing that took place on the Saint Petersburg metro which resulted in the loss of 14 lives. Additionally, prior to the Sochi Olympics in 2013, suicide bombers caused the death of 34 individuals in Volgograd. Furthermore, in 2011, 30 people were killed in a suicide bombing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.