At least 93 people are dead and more than 140 have been wounded after gunmen open fired at a rock concert at Crocus City Hall in a suburb of Moscow on Friday evening local time, Russian intelligence says
Russia’s worst terror attack in years, as gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives in a major concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow.
The attackers targeted people moments before Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall located West of the Russian capital.
Three children were among the dead, the regional healthcare ministry said on Saturday. Authorities had earlier said five children were among the victims and that about 60 people were in serious condition.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack late on Friday, in a post on Telegram in which the group claimed its gunmen had managed to escape afterward. A US official said Washington had intelligence confirming the Islamic State’s claim.
Photos showed Crocus City Hall engulfed in flames as videos emerged showing at least four gunmen opening fire with automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives.
In one clip, three men in fatigues carrying rifles fired at point-blank range into bodies strewn about the lobby of the concert hall.
The assailants also apparently detonated explosives during the attack. At least two blasts took place at the concert hall on Friday evening, news agencies reported.
