While labelling the enemy as “international terrorism’ Russian premier Vladimir Putin said that he is willing to work with any state that wanted to defeat it, as he pledged to track down and take due action against those who perpetrated the Saturday attack in the Moscow Concert hall.
“All the perpetrators, organisers and those who ordered this crime will be justly and inevitably punished. Whoever they are, whoever is guiding them,” Putin said. “We will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists, who prepared this atrocity, this strike against Russia, against our people.”
As of latest, all the four gunmen who allegedly carried out the terror attack have been apprehended. The Investigative Committee of Russia reported a death toll of 133 individuals. Margarita Simonyan, an editor at state TV, had previously mentioned a figure of 143 casualties, though she did not provide a source for this information.
Despite, Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack, Russia presumes of a plausible Ukrainian link into the attacks, while Ukraine emphatically denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, there are clear intentions for ISIS to strike Russia, which had a prominent role in Syria’s civil war in 2015.
Senior Russian lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov issued a stern statement, asserting that if Ukraine was implicated, Russia must deliver a “worthy, clear, and concrete” response on the battlefield.
Western nations, particularly the United States, whose relationship with Moscow has been tense since the invasion of Ukraine, swiftly condemned the assault, expressing solidarity with the Russian people. Arab powers and several former Soviet republics also conveyed shock and extended condolences.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the act of terrorism, offering heartfelt sympathies to the Russian populace affected by the devastating event.
Verified footage depicted armed individuals clad in camouflage attire unleashing gunfire with automatic weapons inside the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. The chaotic scene captured people scrambling for safety amidst the echoing screams and repeated gunfire.
Investigators revealed that some victims succumbed to gunshot wounds, while others perished in a massive fire that engulfed the complex. Reports indicated that the assailants ignited the blaze using petrol from canisters carried in their rucksacks.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of horror as individuals fled in panic. Baza, a reputable news outlet with close ties to Russian security and law enforcement, disclosed grim details, stating that 28 bodies were discovered in a toilet and 14 on a staircase. Heartbreakingly, many mothers were found embracing their children amid the chaos.
Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein disclosed that the perpetrators fled the scene in a Renault vehicle, subsequently spotted by police in the Bryansk region, approximately 340 km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow. Khinshtein noted that a car chase ensued after the attackers disregarded orders to halt.
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