The Islamic State claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack on a concert hall in Russia's capital Moscow on Friday (local time) that killed at least 40 people and left more than 100 injured, according to CNN.
A group of men with firearms broke into the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow, opened fire, and detonated bombs among the crowd.
The terror outfit claimed responsibility for the strike in a short statement which was published by the news agency Amaq, associated with the ISIS, on Telegram.
Footage from the scene of the attack shows the concert venue on fire with smoke billowing into the air. It showed people huddling together, screaming and ducking behind cushioned seats as gunshots drowned the noises in the vast hall.
According to the State-run RIA Novosti, armed militants "opened fire with automatic weapons" and "threw a grenade on an incendiary bomb, which started a fire." They went on to "allegedly fled in a white Renault car," stated the news agency.
According to the New York Times, US officials also verified the assertion made by the Islamic State not long after. US officials have informed Russian officials in private about the intelligence that indicates an upcoming attack.
Officials mentioned that intelligence gathered by the United States in March revealed that Islamic State-Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, the faction of the group operating in Afghanistan, had been plotting an assault on Moscow. A US official mentioned that members of ISIS have been involved in activities within Russia.
The US counterterrorism officials stated the Islamic State has been attempting to escalate its attacks outside of its territory after a period of relative calm. However, most of these plans in Europe have been foiled, leading to the belief that the group's capabilities have diminished.
The recent attack in Moscow, along with the one that took place in Iran in January, may lead to a reevaluation of the organization's capability to carry out attacks beyond its own borders, wrote NYT.
"ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years," frequently criticising President Vladimir Putin in its propaganda, said Colin P Clarke, a counterterrorism analyst at the Soufan Group, a security consulting firm based in New York.
"ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow's interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria," he added.
According to the New York Times, US officials stated that apart from issuing a public warning on March 7 regarding a potential attack, they also privately informed Russian officials about the intelligence indicating an imminent attack. However, it remains uncertain how much additional information Washington shared with Moscow officials apart from what was already mentioned in the public warning.
Previously, the United States had issued a cautionary message to Iran regarding a potential assault prior to the occurrence of two bombings in January. These bombings resulted in the death of at least 103 individuals and caused injuries to 211 others during a ceremony held in remembrance of Iran's former high-ranking military officer, Qassim Suleimani. Suleimani had been killed in a targeted airstrike carried out by a U.S. drone four years earlier. The responsibility for this attack was claimed by ISIS-K as well.
Meanwhile, the regional governor, Andrey Vorobyov, stated that every effort was being made to rescue individuals in what is currently the most fatal terrorist attack in Moscow in many years. A SWAT team was summoned to the location, and over 70 ambulance teams and doctors were providing aid to the victims.
According to the Russian Health Ministry, a total of 115 individuals, including five children, have been admitted to the hospital. Out of these, 60 people are currently in a critical condition.
Alexey Shaposhnikov, the Chairman of Moscow City Duma, has urged the residents of Moscow to donate blood in order to assist in the treatment of victims. He emphasized that this act is crucial as it can potentially save the lives of numerous individuals, reported CNN.
A report from TASS stated that firefighters evacuated approximately 100 individuals from the building. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation stated that rescue workers are currently focused on safely removing people from the roof.
