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Crocus City Hall attack

Coordinates: 55°49′33″N 37°23′25″E / 55.82583°N 37.39028°E / 55.82583; 37.39028
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2024 Crocus City Hall attack
Part of terrorism in Russia and Islamic terrorism in Europe
Crocus City Hall in 2013
Crocus City Hall concert theatre in 2019
Crocus City Hall attack is located in Moscow Ring Road
Crocus City Hall attack
Location of the Crocus City Hall relative to Moscow
LocationCrocus City Hall, Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Coordinates55°49′33″N 37°23′25″E / 55.82583°N 37.39028°E / 55.82583; 37.39028
Date22 March 2024; 9 months ago (2024-03-22)
20:00 MSK (UTC+3)
Attack type
Mass shooting, mass murder, bombing, arson
Deaths62[1]
Injured145+[2]
PerpetratorsIS-KP[3][4]
No. of participants
4-5[5]
MotiveIslamic extremism

On 22 March 2024, at around 20:00 MSK (UTC+3), a mass shooting and multiple explosions occurred at the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, a Russian city on the western edge of Moscow. At least 62 people were killed[1] and over 145 injured[6] after five masked and camouflaged gunmen opened fire on the people gathered at the venue.[7]

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the incident a terrorist attack.[8] The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP or ISIS-K), a Central Asian based regional affiliate of Islamic State, claimed responsibility.[9][3]

Background

See also: Terrorism in Russia

Crocus City Hall was built in 2009 as a concert venue with a capacity of 6,200 people, it is one of the largest in the area. It is part of a larger block of shopping centers, restaurants, and other attractions called Crocus City. [7]

On 7 March 2024, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) announced that it had neutralized a terrorist cell linked to IS in Moscow, which had intended to attack a synagogue in the city.[10] Hours later, the United States embassy in Moscow warned "that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts".[11][12] That day, the United States also privately warned Russian officials of the danger of an impending attack from IS-KP from intelligence gathered earlier in March, under the US intelligence community's "duty to warn" requirement.[4]

On 19 March 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled the American embassy's warning as "obvious blackmail”, conducted with "the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society."[12] He ordered the FSB and other special services "to seriously strengthen anti-terrorist work in all areas".[13] US officials confirmed to the New York Times that the attack was related to the previous US warning.[12] United States National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the United States had no advanced knowledge of this specific attack.[14]

The attack took place on the eighth anniversary of the 2016 Brussels bombings by IS.[15] It was the worst terrorist attack in the Russian Federation since the Beslan school siege two decades earlier, and the worst to occur in Moscow since the Moscow theater hostage crisis in 2002.[16]

Attack

On 22 March 2024, the Russian band Picnic was scheduled to play a sold-out show at Crocus City Hall.[17][18] At around 20:00 MSK (UTC+3),[19] before the band began their performance, masked gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire on the crowd using automatic rifles.[20][21] At the time of the attack, children and teenagers were also in the building for a ballroom dancing competition.[22]

One witness described the attackers as "bearded".[20] Amateur video footage taken at the event of the time verified by BBC Verify showed masked gunmen shooting indiscriminately.[23] Other footage posted to Telegram showed men in military fatigues and baseball caps firing into crowds of screaming people.[16] The assailants were also reported to have used incendiary devices, with an eyewitness claiming the assailants used petrol bombs to start a fire in the auditorium.[22] Amateur video footage posted to social media sites showed huge fires and plumes of smoking coming from the building from the fires set by the assailants.[16]

At 21:32, an explosion was reported, and a partial roof collapse followed at around 22:00.[24][better source needed] Some early reports indicated that the gunmen barricaded themselves within the building.[25]

Shopping centers in St. Petersburg and other public spaces were evacuated following the attack.[26]

Specialized police units from SOBR and OMON units were sent to the scene.[27] Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of Moscow Oblast, went to the scene to set up a task force to handle the situation.[16]

At least 62 people were killed[1] and over 145 injured, with at least 60 people in critical condition.[21][28] According to the Russian Minister of Health, Mikhail Murashko, five children were injured in the attack.[28]

The Russian National Guard were dispatched to search for the assailants,[23] with it being claimed that they possibly escaped using a white car.[29]

Evacuation of the survivors was carried out by medical helicopters,[30] with 70 ambulance crews reportedly being dispatched.[20] An unknown number of people fled to the parking area from the stage, while others fled to the roof.[31] Authorities evacuated approximately 100 people hiding in the basement.[8] The firefighters prevented the fire from spreading.[32]

The musicians of Picnic later posted on Instagram that they and their management were "alive and safe",[33] though they later said that they were unable to contact one of the band members.[34]

As of 23 March, the perpetrators have not been identified.[23]

Perpetrators

IS-KP claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement by Amaq News Agency.[9][35] The group is a regional branch of the international Jihadist Islamic State terrorist group active in South-Central Asia, primarily Afghanistan.[36] US officials stated they had intelligence indicating that IS-KP had been planning an attack on the city.[4] The Russian newspaper Kommersant, reported from sources that the Russian Volunteer Corps is suspected, with the perpetrators described as "young men, Slavs, above average height, and possibly used fake beards and mustaches".[37]

Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote that Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia, was not involved in the attack.[38] The White House called the situation "terrible" and said there was no indication of Ukrainian involvement in the attack.[39]

Aftermath

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin cancelled all weekend events in the city,[40][41] and security was tightened across airports and train and subway stations serving the city.[42][43][44] The Russian Ministry of Culture later cancelled events nationwide.[45] In Saint Petersburg, shopping centers were closed, and Leningrad Oblast was put on high alert.[46] Russian President Vladimir Putin wished those injured in the attack a speedy recovery and praised the doctors involved in treating the victims.[47]

The U.S. embassy in Moscow expressed “sincere condolences to the Russian people”,[48] while advising its citizens to avoid the area as they were "severely limited" in their ability to assist US citizens due to the limits placed on US personnel's ability to travel within Russia.[48][49][50] The British embassy in Moscow condemned the attacks and expressed its "sincere condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those hurt and killed in today’s events".[20]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova called for the international community to condemn the attack, which she called "a monstrous crime".[51][20] The governments of several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, Italy, France, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Peru, Venezuela, and Japan, as well as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the shooting and expressed their condolences to the Russian people and families of the victims.[48][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Bennetts, Marc (22 March 2024). "Moscow terror attack: 62 people killed and concert hall on fire". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 23 March 2024 suggested (help)
  2. ^ "145 people injured in attack, says Moscow health ministry". The Guardian. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b Schmitt, Eric (22 March 2024). "What We Know About ISIS-K, the Group That Claimed Responsibility for the Moscow Attack". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Barnes, Julian E.; Schmitt, Eric (22 March 2024). "U.S. Says ISIS Was Responsible for Deadly Moscow Concert Hall Attack". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Moscow attack: Gunmen kill dozens at Crocus City Hall in Moscow". BBC. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  6. ^ Singh, Maanvi (22 March 2024). "145 people injured in attack, says Moscow health ministry". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow attack in a statement posted on social media". ABC News. The Associated Press. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  8. ^ a b Kirby, Paul; Rhoden-Paul, Andre (22 March 2024). "Full statement from Russia's security service". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b Knight, Mariya; Chernova, Anna; Tarasova, Darya (22 March 2024). "ISIS claims responsibility for attack in busy Moscow-area concert venue that left at least 40 dead". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  10. ^ Williams, Alison, ed. (7 March 2024). "Russia says it neutralized ISIS cell plotting attack on Moscow synagogue". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  11. ^ Timotija, Filip (8 March 2024). "US Embassy warns 'extremists' planning attack in Moscow". The Hill. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Barnes, Julian; Méheut, Constant; Troianovski, Anton (22 March 2024). "U.S. Warned About Possible Moscow Attack Before Concert Hall Shooting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Meeting of the FSB board (transcipt)". kremlin.ru (in Russian). 19 March 2024. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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  15. ^ "Islamitische Staat eist aanslag bij Moskou op, dag op dag acht jaar na aanslagen in Brussel (Het Laatste Nieuws - in Dutch)". Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d "Kremlin says 40 killed and more than 100 wounded in attack on Moscow concert hall". AP News. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
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  24. ^ Keenan, Claire; Singh, Maanvi; Chao-Fong, Léonie; Yang, Maya (23 March 2024). "Roof of concert hall where shooting took place is collapsing". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  25. ^ Ebel, Francesca; Ilyushina, Mary (23 March 2024). "At least 60 dead after explosion, gunfire hit popular Moscow concert venue". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  26. ^ Jones, Damian (22 March 2024). "Many killed after Russian concert venue is attacked by terrorists". NME. NME Networks. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Islamic State group claims responsibility for gun attack at Moscow concert that kills at least 40". The Straits Times. SPH Media. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  28. ^ a b Baker, Graeme (ed.). "More details revealed on victims". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  29. ^ Rosenberg, Steve (23 March 2024). "As search for attackers continues, big questions about security". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Ambulance helicopters evacuate several survivors of Crocus City Hall shootout". TASS. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  31. ^ Kirby, Paul; Rhoden-Paul, Andre (22 March 2024). "Moscow attack: Gunmen kill dozens at Crocus City Hall in Moscow". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Fire not spreading, Russian media says". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  33. ^ "Picnic musicians and management 'alive and safe'". BBC News. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  34. ^ "The Russian rock band Piknik have not been able to contact one of its members". the Guardian. 23 March 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  35. ^ Wertheimer, Tiffany, ed. (22 March 2024). "Report: Islamic State claims responsibility". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  36. ^ Gardner, Frank (26 August 2021). "Afghanistan: Who are Islamic State Khorasan Province militants?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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  38. ^ Yang, Maya (22 March 2024). "Ukraine denies involvement in attacks". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  39. ^ "Russia Concert Hall Attack 'Terrible': White House". Barron's. Agence France Presse. 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  40. ^ Abbruzzese, Jason (22 March 2024). "Moscow's mayor cancels weekend events". NBC News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Moscow Mayor cancels all weekend events". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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  45. ^ "Events cancelled across Russia". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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  51. ^ "Deaths and injuries are reported after an attack on a concert hall outside Moscow". KENW (TV). 22 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
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  56. ^ "Kyrgyzstan strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Moscow — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic". News from Kyrgyzstan - КНИА «Кабар» (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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  59. ^ "El Perú condena enérgicamente ataque terrorista en Moscú". Gobierno del Perú (in Spanish). 22 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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