ISIS terror group has claimed responsibility for Russia's attack, according to a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday.
ISIS has not provided evidence to support the claim.
March 23, 2024 Shooting at Moscow concert venue leaves over 130 dead
By Chris Lau, Andrew Raine, Catherine Nicholls, Issy Ronald, Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 7:54 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024
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ISIS terror group claims responsibility for the attack in Russia
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
"The images reaching us from Moscow are terrible," French foreign ministry says
From CNN's Joseph Ataman
The French foreign ministry has said, "The images reaching us from Moscow are terrible."
"Our thoughts are with the victims and injured and the Russian people," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"Full light must be shed on these heinous acts," the ministry added.
Children among victims in Crocus City Hall attack
From CNN's Mariya Knight
Russian state media TASS reported ️there are children among the victims in the Crocus City Hall attack, citing the Moscow Children's Ombudsman.
TASS did not provide further information.
The US embassy in Moscow "shocked by reports of a terrorist attack"
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
The US Embassy in Moscow "is shocked by reports of a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow."
"We express our sincere condolences to the Russian people for the loss of life and injuries received as a result of today's terrorist attack," the embassy said in a statement on Telegram on Friday.
"As events continue to unfold, we strongly encourage US citizens in Moscow to avoid the area, follow local security instructions, and monitor local media for updates," the statement added.
"We strongly encourage US citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at step.state.gov to receive important emergency information," the statement said.
Biden being "kept informed" of developments in Moscow attack, White House says
From CNN"s Nikki Carvajal
President Joe Biden is being “kept informed” of the events unfolding in Moscow, the White House said Friday, after an apparent terror attack at a concert hall.
“It's very early to know a lot of detail obviously happening in Moscow,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said during an interview with Fox News on Friday. “Our ability to glean very accurate information in these early hours is somewhat limited … but obviously we've seen the imagery and it's just horrific, what these gunmen are doing to innocent people at this concert hall.”
Kirby reiterated that the State Department had reissued a warning to Americans in the region to “just stay away from populated areas and certainly gathering places like concert halls and shopping malls.”
“Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are to all those innocent people who are affected by this,” he added.
Asked about a State Department warning earlier this month to Russia about potential terrorist activity, Kirby said he was “going to be very careful here in these early hours,” and that it wasn’t clear if that warning and this attack were connected.
Kirby said there was “no indication, no sense at all, that that the Ukrainians were involved in this in any way shape or form.” Ukraine has denied it was involved in the attack.
“The president's being kept informed of the events,” he said. “We're very much in a monitoring mode right now as the information is still so fresh, and our ability… to get granular details is somewhat going to be challenged given that it's Moscow we're talking about, but the national security team will keep the president up to date.”
President Putin called US embassy warnings about terror attacks “provocative” and “outright blackmail” in speech to FSB earlier this week
From CNN's Seb Shukla
Russian President Vladimir Putin called statements made by the US embassy earlier this week about potential terror attacks in Moscow “provocative.”
In a speech on Tuesday, Putin said in a speech to the FSB, “All these actions resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society. You are well aware of them, so I will not go into details at this point.”
The US Embassy said on March 7th that Americans should “avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours” and “that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow.”
On Friday evening, the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of the Russian capital became the scene of a terror incident where at least 40 people had been killed and 100 wounded, according to Russian state media.
Ukraine "nothing to do with the shooting/explosions" in Russia, Ukrainian presidential adviser says
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Ukraine "certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions," in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow Region, Russia, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a post on X on Friday.
Vladimir Putin informed of concert shooting, Kremlin says
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
According to the Kremlin, within the first minutes of what happened at Crocus City Hall, Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed that the shooting had begun.
"The President constantly receives information about what is happening and about the measures being taken through all relevant services, the head of state has given all the necessary instructions," said Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
Gunmen shot at "everyone," threw Molotov cocktails, witness says
From CNN's Mia Alberti and Jennifer Hauser
An unnamed male witness who survived the attack at the Crocus City Hall Friday said he saw the gunmen enter the concert hall where they "started shooting everyone."
"I was sitting in the hall upstairs where the balconies were. We heard gunshots. At first, we didn't understand what had happened," he said in an interview with Ostorozhno Novosti, which was published by Reuters.
The man says that "in the end," the attackers threw a Molotov cocktail, and "everything was set on fire."
"We were led to the exit. Turned out, the exit was locked. We ran all over Crocus City, trying to find an exit, but to no avail. We went into the basement of the Crocus City Hall and waited for the Emergency Services (MChS) and got out," he said.
Another witness, Nikolai, who did not provide a last name, told Reuters, "I've seen wounded, I've seen people lying down when the shooting happened. (PERSON ASKING: Can you approximately count how many people were wounded?) I can not. More than a dozen."
And another witness, Andrei, who also did not give a last name, told Reuters, "We've been at the furthest corner, it all was far away. We've only seen crowd, but there was no panic, everyone walked calmly. Some sat down as they walked out, but there was not panic."
