The Kalashnikov attack on a concert hall and hypermarket on the outskirts of Moscow left at least 40 people dead and over a hundred injured.
Carnage. On the evening of Friday March 22, 2024, a mass slaughter reminiscent of the Bataclan attack in Paris on November 13, 2015, took place in the Moscow suburbs. Several assailants fired weapons at the audience of the Crocus City Hall, where a rock band was due to perform. Many people were killed – at least 40 according to a very provisional estimate – and around a hundred injured. At the same time, the roof of the shopping mall building was engulfed in flames.
Risk of war escalation
Kiev was quick to deny that it was behind the terrorist attack, although both the Kremlin and Western capitals feared that the tragedy could be used as a pretext to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian law enforcement agencies quickly cordoned off the area in search of the four assailants, at least one of whom was arrested.
Late in the evening, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, via the jihadist organization Amaq, at the same time clearing Ukraine of any responsibility.
Despicable acts
Western capitals paid lip service to their sympathy for the Russian people. France denounced the “odious acts” perpetrated in Moscow.
Attentat terroriste à Moscou.
Il y aurait au moins 40 morts.
Toute ma solidarité au peuple russe dans cette épreuve traumatisante.
La France a malheureusement déjà connu ça : le Bataclan. pic.twitter.com/Oa2YO7qyOi— Philippe Murer 🇫🇷 (@PhilippeMurer) March 22, 2024
BREAKING: ISIS claims responsibility for the terror attack in Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin has not yet made a public statement about the attack on Crocus City Hall.
The U.S. seemed to have knowledge that an attack was coming considering on March 7th, the U.S. warned that… pic.twitter.com/txYeA1J8nd
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 22, 2024