Moscow Concert Attack Leaves Over 60 Dead in Islamic State Massacre

Chaos and terror erupted during a Moscow concert attack on Friday night. Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers gathered for a performance by the Soviet-era rock group Picnic at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall just outside Moscow. Verified videos showed attendees calmly taking their seats before rushing for the exits as gunfire echoed through the hall during the Moscow concert attack, screams filling the air. Other footage captured the gunmen shooting indiscriminately at groups of people, leaving some victims motionless in pools of blood. 

Deadliest Attack in Russia Since 2004 After Moscow Concert Attack

The Moscow concert attack left at least 60 people dead and 145 wounded, with around 60 of the injured in critical condition. It was the deadliest incident in Russia since the horrific 2004 Beslan school siege, where Islamist militants took over 1,000 hostages, including hundreds of children. Russian investigators found Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition vests, and piles of spent casings at the Moscow concert attack site.

Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Moscow Concert Attack

The Islamic State militant group swiftly claimed responsibility for the massacre during the Moscow concert attack. In a statement on Telegram, IS said its fighters “killed and wounded hundreds” before safely withdrawing from the Moscow concert attack. A U.S. official confirmed intelligence corroborating the claim of the Moscow concert attack, adding that Washington had recently warned Moscow about a potential attack.

Though Russia has yet to assign blame for the Moscow concert attack, Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, condemned the “bloody terrorist attack” and called on the world to denounce it. The U.N. Security Council also strongly condemned the “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” of the Moscow concert attack. 

History of Threats Preceding Moscow Concert Attack

Just two weeks earlier, the U.S. embassy in Russia had warned of imminent attack plans by extremists in Moscow before the concert attack occurred. Hours before that warning about a potential Moscow attack, Russia’s FSB security service said it thwarted an ISIS-Khorasan plot to attack a synagogue in the capital before the Moscow concert attack. The Islamic State affiliate seeks to establish a caliphate across parts of Central Asia.

For the past two years, ISIS-K has intensified threats against Russia in its propaganda, frequently criticizing President Vladimir Putin before the Moscow concert attack. The broader Islamic State has carried out deadly strikes worldwide, including in Europe and former Soviet republics, before the Moscow concert attack. Russia’s military intervention to back Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad against IS and rebel forces in 2015 likely raised its prominence as a target before the Moscow concert attack.

Also Read | Markus Jooste’s Suicide After Accounting Fraud

Scenes of Chaos After Moscow Concert Attack

Footage from the Moscow concert attack showed a massive blaze engulfing the venue as first responders evacuated hundreds while parts of the roof collapsed. Russia swiftly tightened security across the capital region of over 21 million residents and cancelled all large public events nationwide after the Moscow concert attack.

President Putin, recently re-elected, received constant updates as the situation of the Moscow concert attack unfolded and gave orders to relevant agencies, according to the Kremlin. The Russian leader has repeatedly accused foreign powers of attempting to destabilize Russia before the Moscow concert attack occurred. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed condolences, calling the Moscow concert event “a tragedy.” 

With tensions high, Ukrainian officials denied any involvement as Russia investigates the Islamic State’s latest and most deadly strike on its soil through the Moscow concert attack. The concert massacre has further raised security concerns and fears of escalating terrorist threats within Russia’s borders after the deadly Moscow concert attack.