Putin vows punishment over Moscow concert massacre
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Russian President Vladimir Putin pledges to punish the terrorists and any party involved in the Crocus City Hall massacre that killed nearly 150 people in the Russian capital.
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In this photo released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on March 23, 2024, firefighters work in the burned concert hall after an attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia (AP)
The Russian authorities have arrested 11 individuals in connection to the Crocus City Hall concert massacre that took place on Friday, including the four suspected gunmen allegedly responsible for the massacre.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a televised address in which he assured the nation that those behind the attack would face justice.
The death toll from the massacre has officially been confirmed at 133 by Russia's state Investigative Committee, though earlier reports suggested a higher number.
Crocus City Hall in Moscow fell victim to a horrifying shooting and fire, resulting in numerous casualties and injuries, Russian authorities confirmed on Friday.
The incident has sparked global condemnation, with officials terming it a "bloody terrorist attack."
Gunshots were heard in the concert hall shortly before flames engulfed it. The Federal Security Service (FSB) reported fatalities and injuries in the wake of the assault. Preliminary figures reported by TASS estimated that 40 were killed and over 100 others were wounded as a result of the terrorist attack.
The gunmen, reportedly linked to the Islamic State (ISIS), were apprehended while attempting to flee towards the Ukraine border.
'International terrorists'
Putin revealed that preliminary investigations indicate a connection with contacts in Ukraine amid Western claims that the attack was committed by the terrorist organization.
In his address, Putin denounced the perpetrators as "international terrorists" and pledged to collaborate with any state willing to combat such threats. He vowed to identify and punish all involved in the planning and execution of the attack.
The FSB security service disclosed that the captured gunmen had ties in Ukraine and were intercepted near the border. They are currently being transported to Moscow for further interrogation.
While ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicions linger regarding a potential Ukrainian involvement, despite denials from Ukrainian officials.
Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian lawmaker, asserted that if Ukraine's complicity is proven, Russia must respond decisively.
Meanwhile, the United States has confirmed intelligence supporting the terrorist organization's claim of responsibility. A US official, speaking anonymously, revealed that Washington had previously alerted Moscow about the possibility of an attack set to be carried out by ISIS.
FSB arrests perpetrators
Russia's FSB security service told President Vladimir Putin that 11 people had been detained following Friday's deadly attack near Moscow, including four people directly involved, Interfax cited the Kremlin as saying on Saturday.
It said FSB security service chief Alexander Bortnikov had reported to President Vladimir Putin that those detained included "four terrorists" and that the service was working to identify their accomplices.
Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein said the attackers had fled in a Renault vehicle that was spotted by police in the Bryansk region, about 340 km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow on Friday night, and disobeyed instructions to stop.
While two were arrested after a car chase, two others fled into a forest, but they were later caught and arrested as confirmed by the Kremlin.
Russian people combat their losses by solidarity
According to data on victim hospitalizations released by Moscow Region’s Health Ministry today, at least three children have been killed in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall near Moscow.
The data revealed that there were three children and two men enlisted in the "biological death" section of the register.
Governor of the Moscow Region Andrey Vorobyov revealed on Telegram that the spill of structures perpetuates in the Crocus City Hal and individual fires are ongoing, however, the fire has been mostly extinguished.
“Currently, the spill of structures continues. There are still some pockets of fire, but the fire has been mostly extinguished,” he wrote.
Regardless of the pain and physical and mental impact of the terrorist attack, the Russian people continue to support each other. In one act of solidarity, a RIA Novosti video shows a line of people who went to donate blood in groups ever since this morning and less than 24 hours since the attack.
