Russian Concert Hall Shooting: Russia confirms they have detailed 11 suspects as IS claim responsibility

The death toll from the terror attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall overnight has risen to 115 killed and 187 injured, as Russian officials have stated that 11 people have been detained regarding the terrorist attack on Friday evening. At least three children were among those killed in the attack at the hall in Krasnogorsk, Russian authorities said.

The head of Russia’s Federal Security Service told Russian President Vladimir Putin that four people directly involved in the attack on the Crocus City Hall on Moscow’s western edge were among 11 detained in the aftermath, Russian state news agency Tass said. The attack, which left the concert hall in flames with a collapsing roof, was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.

Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by Islamic State (IS), who issued a statement on their affiliated social media channels; the attack comes just days after Mr Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. In a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, IS said it attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk on Moscow’s outskirts, killing and wounding hundreds though it was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the claim according to the PA.

However, US intelligence officials confirmed the claim by the IS group’s branch based in Afghanistan that it was responsible for the Moscow attack.

A US intelligence official told The Associated Press that American agencies had learned the group’s branch in Afghanistan was planning an attack in Moscow and had shared the information with Russian officials. Mr Putin had publicly denounced the Western warnings of a potential terrorist attack as an attempt to intimidate Russians. “All that resembles open blackmail and an attempt to frighten and destabilise our society,” he said earlier this week.

The UN Security Council condemned “the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” and underlined the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemning the terrorist attack “in the strongest possible terms”, his spokesman said.