Russia said on Saturday that it had arrested 11 people, including four suspected gunmen, in connection with a shooting rampage that killed at least 115 people at a concert hall near Moscow. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in Russia for 20 years.
The FSB security service said that it had arrested “all four terrorists” while they were heading to the Ukrainian border. The FSB also said that the attackers had contacts in Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that if Ukraine was involved, then Russia must deliver a “worthy, clear and concrete” reply on the battlefield.
The Investigative Committee said that the death toll had risen to at least 115 from the attack. Gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers in the Crocus City Hall near the capital. Some died from gunshot wounds and others in a huge fire that broke out in the complex. People fled in panic. More than 120 people were wounded.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The militant group said that its fighters attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely”.
The United States has intelligence confirming Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the shooting. A U.S. official said that Washington had warned Moscow in recent weeks of the possibility of an attack.
Russia tightened security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital. All large-scale public events were cancelled across the country.
Putin was informed in the first minutes of the attack and is regularly being updated. He sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and has repeatedly warned that various powers are seeking to sow chaos inside Russia.
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