CNN
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ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack on a popular concert venue complex near Moscow on Friday, when assailants armed with guns and incendiary devices stormed the venue, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100.
In a short statement posted by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday, the terrorist group accepted responsibility for the attack. The group provided no evidence to support its claims.
Video footage from the Crocus Town Hall concert venue, the scene of the attack, showed the vast complex, which includes both a music hall and a shopping center, in flames and plumes of smoke. State-run RIA Novosti reported that the gunmen “opened fire with automatic weapons” and “thrown grenades or incendiary devices, causing a fire.” They then “fled in a white Renault car,” the news agency reported.
State media Russia 24 reported that the roof of the venue partially collapsed.
According to Russian 24 newspaper, the attack occurred before a performance by the musical group Picnic. The band's manager told state media that none of the performers were injured.
According to TASS news agency, the Russian Prosecutor's Office announced that “unidentified people wearing camouflage clothes entered Crocus City Hall and began shooting before the concert started.”
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A screenshot from the video shows armed men inside the Crocus Town Hall concert venue in Russia's Moscow region. CNN has not been able to confirm whether these were armed attackers or Russian authorities.
Video footage shows crowds of people huddled together as gunshots begin to echo through the vast hall, panicking as the attack unfolds, including screaming and crouching behind cushioned seats. It was shown that he was doing so.
Video geolocated by CNN shows an armed person starting at least one fire inside the venue. The person holds something in his hand and as he walks off-screen, a bright flash from a large flame is seen on the video.
Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said everything was being done to save people in the deadliest terrorist attack on Moscow in decades. A SWAT team was called to the scene, and more than 70 ambulance teams and medics were assisting the victims.
Russia's Health Ministry told TASS news agency that 115 people, including five children, were hospitalized. 60 people are in “serious condition”.
On Friday night, Moscow City Council Chairman Alexei Shaposhnikov called on Moscow residents to donate blood to help treat the victims, saying, “This is a matter of life and death for dozens of people.”
Shaposhnikov listed several blood center facilities in the Moscow region that will accept donors throughout the weekend.
About 100 people were evacuated from the building by firefighters, TASS said. According to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation, rescue teams are still working to extract people from the roof.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
A Russian emergency services vehicle is parked near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a reported shooting on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, on March 22.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the attack a “terrible tragedy.”
“Today a terrible tragedy occurred in the heart of Crocus City. My condolences go to the loved ones of the victims. I have ordered that all necessary support be provided to everyone affected by the incident.” Sobyanin said in a statement.
Sobyanin said on Telegram that all sporting, cultural and other public events taking place in Moscow this weekend are canceled.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the attack and kept updated on measures on the ground.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Russia said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.” The embassy warned Americans to avoid large gatherings.
In an address to Russian federal security officials on Tuesday, President Putin called the embassy's warning about a possible terrorist attack in Moscow “provocative” and said: “These acts are blatant threats and threaten our society. “This is similar to an attempt to intimidate and destabilize the country.”
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said Friday it was “aware of reports of an ongoing terrorist incident at Crocus City Hall” and advised U.S. citizens not to travel to Russia.
Ukraine, which has been embroiled in a war with Russia for more than two years, denied involvement in the attack.
In part of a post on He said he believed the attacks would escalate. “Military propaganda” in Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres late Friday condemned “today's terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms,” according to a statement released by Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq.
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the people and the Government of the Russian Federation. We wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the statement said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
