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The Islamic State organization claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted a concert hall in Moscow on Friday, killing 62 people. International and Arab condemnations of this attack continued, while Ukraine confirmed that it had nothing to do with it.

ISIS said in a statement posted on Telegram that its fighters “attacked a large gathering on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow,” and added that the fighters “withdrew to their bases safely.”

Russian authorities said that gunmen opened fire during a rock concert at the Crocus City Concert Hall near Moscow, killing at least 62 people, wounding 105 others, and starting a fire in the hall.

The Russian National Guard announced that it was at the scene and searching for the perpetrators.

The attackers entered the building wearing camouflage uniforms, opened fire and threw a hand grenade or a firebomb, according to what a RIA Novosti news agency journalist reported at the scene.

The Russian Interfax news agency reported that the fire that broke out in the concert hall extended to an area of ​​12,900 square metres, noting that it had not been controlled yet.

The authorities have opened a "criminal investigation into a terrorist act," while President Vladimir Putin receives "continuous" updates, according to what his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.

The fire has spread to an area of ​​12,900 square meters and has not yet been brought under control (French|)

International condemnations

At the international level, the United Nations expressed its sadness over this attack, and UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said yesterday, Friday, that a statement would be issued regarding the incident.

Italy described this attack as a "heinous terrorist act," while Spain expressed its "shock" and affirmed its solidarity with the victims. Turkey also condemned the attack and offered its condolences to the people and government of Russia. For its part, the United States denounced the incident and considered it a "horrific armed attack." As for France, She declared her sympathy for the victims of the “horrific” accident and said that “these heinous acts should be shed light.”

On the Arab level, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the Emirates, Bahrain and Palestine condemned this attack and expressed their condolences to the government and people of Russia, while affirming their complete rejection and denunciation of all forms of violence and terrorism.

The number of victims of the attack rose to 62 dead and more than 105 wounded (French)

Ukraine denies involvement

Immediately after the attack was announced, doubts began to swirl about Ukraine's relationship with it. In this regard, former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, confirmed on Friday that his country would "eliminate" Ukrainian leaders if they were found to be responsible for the bloody attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday.

Medvedev said via Telegram, "If they are proven to be terrorists affiliated with the Kiev regime... they must all be found and mercilessly eliminated as terrorists, including the leaders of the state that committed this terrible act."

But Ukraine, for its part, was quick to announce that it had nothing to do with the attack, and Mikhail Podolyak, advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, said in a statement via the Telegram application that Ukraine had “nothing to do” with the attack.

He added, "These events bear signs of terrorism practiced by the leadership of the aggressive state (Russia) against its people," stressing that "Ukraine, unlike the Russian Federation, has never used terrorist methods of war, or terrorism per se."

On the other hand, Ukrainian military intelligence on Friday accused Russian special services of planning an attack on a concert hall in Moscow.

The agency said via Telegram that “the terrorist attack in Moscow was a planned and deliberate provocation by the Russian special services on Putin’s orders,” considering that the attack “must be understood as a threat from Putin to provoke escalation and expand the war.”

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby also denied the existence of any “indications of Ukrainian involvement” in the attack, and said in statements he made on Friday that it was too early to make any assessment, but “there is currently no indication of the involvement of Ukraine or the Ukrainians in this attack.” Where the news is still very new."

Russian security forces are still searching for the perpetrators of the attack on the concert hall in Moscow (Reuters)

Advance British American flag

On the other hand, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the United States and Britain had prior knowledge of the armed attack on the Moscow concert hall.

He added while participating in a local television program yesterday, Friday, "This is something we have said many times, but very few people want to hear it, very few people want to believe it, and very few people think to look at the facts."

He continued, "The American Embassy in Moscow called on its citizens on March 7 not to go to shopping centers, and the British and others did the same thing."

He added, "This means that their own intelligence services were listening to some conversations, obtaining information, and they knew this would happen."

But an American official said on Friday that the United States had warned Russia in the past few weeks of the possibility of an attack on its territory.

He added that the United States has information that confirms what ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert near Moscow.

An invitation to convene the Security Council

In a related context, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday, Friday, that Moscow will invite the UN Security Council to hold a meeting regarding this attack. The ministry's ambassador for special duties, Rodion Miroshnik, said in statements to the Russia-24 channel that Russian diplomats will raise the issue of the attack at the UN Security Council meeting.

He explained that Russian diplomats will ask the UN Security Council to meet soon on this issue "so that the global majority in the largest international organization can condemn these actions."

Source: Agencies