Moscow attack: Gunmen kill dozens at Crocus City Hall in Moscow

In the video, we can see individuals seeking shelter inside the location when numerous gunshots were audible.

Authored by Paul Kirby and Andre Rhoden-Paul

According to Russian security services, a concert hall located on the outskirts of Moscow was targeted by assailants who fatally shot a minimum of 40 individuals and inflicted injuries on around 100 others.

A minimum of four aggressors wearing camouflage outfits participated in the assault, as revealed in verified BBC footage, which occurred in Krasnogorsk's north-west suburb.

The rock concert at Crocus City Hall was about to begin when some armed assailants suddenly entered the lobby and subsequently infiltrated the theatre.

A lot of the structure was consumed by flames and a section of the ceiling fell down.

According to reports, children were among the people who unfortunately lost their lives in the incident. The Russian foreign ministry strongly denounced the occurrence as a "terror attack".

Based on an unconfirmed report found on the internet, the extremist organization known as the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault.

The National Guard of Russia confirmed that they dispatched specialized units to locate the culprits. Moreover, high-ranking officials in Russia are on their way to Krasnogorsk.

A warning was issued by the US embassy two weeks back cautioning individuals from America to stay away from big meetings. The embassy mentioned that it was keeping a close eye on news reports suggesting that "fanatics are planning to aim at big gatherings in Moscow". On Friday evening, the embassy updated its guidelines, urging US nationals to stay clear of the spot where the attack occurred.

Over 6,000 individuals from Russia had gathered at the Crocus City Hall shopping and music center to attend a live performance by the rock group known as Picnic. According to a witness, the fighting began just moments before the band was scheduled to take the stage. Fortunately, none of the members of the group suffered any injuries.

Video displays armed individuals in the entrance area of Crocus Concert Hall.

As the security personnel were on duty at the main entrance, a group of attackers armed with various weapons violently entered the lobby and started shooting bullets, as recounted by one of the guards.

According to a statement made to the Russian telegram channel Baza, there were three additional security guards who concealed themselves behind an advertising display. The attackers, who started firing shots at individuals on the first level, passed by them at a distance of 30ft.

A woman who was present in the auditorium said that she and some other visitors quickly moved towards the stage when they became aware that gunshots were being fired. According to her, she observed a person carrying a small firearm in the seated section, and they could hear gunshots. To keep herself safe, she attempted to hide behind a loudspeaker by crawling over there. She shared these details with Russian TV channel.

Flames and embers shot up high in the air and the exterior of the hall ignited, causing the glass on the upper floors to break.

It seems that the fire originated from the attackers launching some sort of substance that can ignite flames.

A gentleman named Vitaly recounted witnessing the assailants shooting their weapons while he was situated on a balcony within the concert venue. According to him, "They tossed some gasoline bombs, causing things to ignite in flames. We were guided towards an exit."

A different person who saw the incident reported that young people, including children and teenagers, were present in the building during the assault. They were participating in a contest for ballroom dancing.

A number of individuals present in the concert venue managed to make their way to the parking lot while some opted to go up to the roof. Russian officials have reported that around 100 more individuals have successfully evacuated through the basement.

Numerous ambulance teams were swiftly dispatched to the location and lingered outside the Krasnogorsk building following the assault.

Emergency services are conducting a major operation in the area surrounding the venue.

Following the tragic incident in Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has taken swift action by putting an end to all public events in the city over the upcoming weekend. The Mayor also expressed his condolences to the families affected by this dreadful occurrence.

Afterward, a few other areas also called off their events within the next few hours, which encompassed St Petersburg, the second largest city of Russia.

Maria Zakharova, who is a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, has requested the global community to denounce the occurrence and has referred to it as a horrendous act.

The Ukrainian government immediately refuted any allegations of being involved in the assault. This occurrence happened over 24 months after the Russian forces conducted a complete invasion of Ukraine's territory.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the president, stated on the messaging app Telegram that Ukraine's fate hinges on the outcome of the battlefield despite any other factors.

Just six days back, Vladimir Putin snagged his fifth term in the Russian presidential elections. Nonetheless, the electoral ballot did not feature any legitimate competitors, which caused Western nations to criticize the elections as insufficiently democratic and unbiased.

Andriy Yusov, who speaks for Ukrainian military intelligence, claimed that Putin's special services intentionally provoked the attack. However, he did not provide any proof to support his accusation.

The rescue team is attempting to put out the blaze that is currently engulfing Crocus City Hall.

The assault on Friday evening was the most severe assault on non-military individuals in Moscow in quite some time, yet it evoked recollections of a theatre takeover in the city back in 2002. During that incident, 40 Chechen insurrectionists apprehended over 900 individuals during a performance titled NordOst.

The Russian security forces finally entered the theater, using sleeping gas to overpower those inside. Sadly, approximately 130 hostages lost their lives.

Nowadays, airports and stations have increased their security measures.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House, expressed that the footage of the shooting was distressing and challenging to view.

He stated that our minds are naturally going to be focused on the individuals affected by this horrific shooting incident.

The photo was sourced from REUTERS photographer Maxim Shemetov.

in the recent cyber attacks on several government and financial institutions. The Russian government is currently on the hunt for those responsible for the recent series of cyber attacks that targeted several government and financial institutions.