Daesh Claims Responsibility for Terrorist Attack in Russian Capital
At least 60 people have been killed and dozens more injured after gunmen opened fire and set off explosives at a concert hall on the western edge of Moscow.
The attack began on Friday evening just as people were taking their seats for a sold-out show by Picnic, a popular rock band from the Soviet era.
As many as five men in combat fatigues entered the concert hall and opened fire on those inside.
Dave Primov, who was in the hall during the attack, described chaotic scenes.
“There were volleys of gunfire,” Primov told The Associated Press news agency. “We all got up and tried to move toward the aisles. People began to panic, started to run and collided with each other. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”
Russian investigators said more than 60 people had been killed, while 145 more were injured in one of the worst attacks to hit the country in decades.
The attackers also set off explosives that ignited a huge blaze that at one point covered as much as 12,900 square meters (139,000sq ft), according to Russian news agency Interfax.
Helicopters were brought in to douse the flames from the air, as firefighters battled the blaze from the ground. The fire was eventually brought under control early on Saturday.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said firefighters helped about 100 people escape through the building’s basement, while rescue operations were also launched for people trapped on the roof.
The Daesh in Khorasan Province (ISKP), an Afghan affiliate of Daesh, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted by its Amaq news agency.
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It said its fighters had attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely” and then escaped. It gave no further detail.
Russia has reported several incidents involving Daesh this month, with the FSB intelligence agency saying on March 7 it foiled an attack by ISKP on a Moscow synagogue.
Source: Al Jazeera
