Conquer Club

Gunmen kill 40 in attack at concert hall near Moscow, state news agency says
By Guy Faulconbridge
March 22, 20243:38 PM EDTUpdated 14 min ago

Summary
Gunmen open fire at concert hall
At least 40 dead, 100 wounded - TASS cites FSB
People shown motionless in pools of blood
Large fire at Crocus City Hall - Reuters video
Moscow mayor: a terrible tragedy has occurred

MOSCOW, March 22 (Reuters) - At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured when five gunmen dressed in camouflage opened fire with automatic weapons at people at a concert in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, in one of the worst such attacks on Russia in years.

Flames leapt into the sky and plumes of black smoke rose above the venue, Reuters pictures and video showed.

Russian media reported a second blast at the venue and there were reports that some of the gunmen had barricaded themselves somewhere in the building.

State news agency TASS cited Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying 40 people had been killed and more than 100 wounded.

The FSB said all necessary measures were being taken.

It was not immediately clear who the gunmen were. Russian news agencies said 70 ambulance crews had been sent to the scene.

"A terrible tragedy occurred in the shopping center Crocus City today," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. "I am sorry for the loved ones of the victims."

The Guardian wrote:The attacks come just days after the US embassy in Russia issued a security alert to US citizens.

The Guardian wrote:The embassy also said that it is “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts”.

Actions that US citizens have been encouraged to take include avoiding large crowds, monitoring local media for updates and being aware of surroundings.

saxitoxin wrote:The Islamic State -- an ally of Ukraine which has contributed fighters to Zelenskyy in the current Russian police action -- has claimed responsibility for the attack.

US had warned of potential attack
Earlier this month, the US embassy in Russia said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow,” including concerts. The embassy warned US citizens to avoid large gatherings. On Friday, following reports of the Crocus City Hall attack, it advised US citizens not to travel to Russia.

Starting in November, there has been a steady stream of intelligence that ISIS-K was determined to attack in Russia, according to two sources familiar with the information.

ISIS-K stands for ISIS-Khorasan, the terror organization’s affiliate that is active in Afghanistan and the surrounding region.

US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the US government had had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow – potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts – and that this is what prompted the State Department to issue the public advisory.

“The US government also shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Watson said.

In a speech Tuesday, Putin had blasted the American warnings as “provocative,” saying “these actions resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”

International response
Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a war with Russia for more than two years, denied any involvement in the attack.

“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote, in part, in a post on X. He said he believed Russia would use the attack to justify the ongoing conflict and scale up operations as part of “military propaganda” in Ukraine.

Lonous wrote:There are some videos floating about showing the Russian forces capturing them.
I won't post them here, they are not for the faint of heart.
By the methods demonstrated in the video, I have no doubt the Russians will learn exactly who backed them.

Be prepared for a barrage of media accusing Russia of propaganda no matter who the Russians claim is behind the attacks.

saxitoxin wrote:It's not surprising that ISIS would want to hit Russia. Russia has been supporting Bashar al-Assad in his fight against the ISIS remnants. If not for that support, ISIS would have overthrown the Assad government ages ago.

Though continuously attacked from all sides, Russia is the bulwark of civilization, protecting the rest of us. When you're going it alone with absolutely zero support, you can't always do it nicely or politely, something the West seems not to understand.