More than 60 people were killed and dozens injured on the evening of Friday March 22 in an armed attack followed by a huge fire in a concert hall in the suburbs of Moscow, which was claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). Here's what we know about this attack.

  • The open fire on the concert hall

The emergency services, cited by the Interfax agency, reported a "group of two to five unidentified people wearing tactical uniforms and armed with automatic weapons" who "opened fire on security agents at the entrance to the concert hall" of Crocus City Hall, in Krasnogorsk, a northwest suburb of the Russian capital, then "started shooting at the audience".

Telegram news channels Baza and Mash published videos showing at least two armed men advancing through the hall and others showing dead bodies and groups of people rushing towards the exit.

According to a journalist from the state news agency Ria Novosti, individuals in camouflage clothing burst into the concert hall before opening fire and throwing "a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which caused a fire".

An AFP journalist saw the building engulfed in a massive fire, with plumes of black smoke escaping from the roof.

"The people in the room lay on the ground to protect themselves from the gunfire for 15 to 20 minutes, after which they began to crawl out. Many managed to get out," the Ria journalist said. Novosti.

An AFP journalist who arrived at the scene a few hours after the attack saw black smoke and flames coming from the roof of the concert hall which can accommodate up to 6,000 people. According to media reports, part of the roof collapsed.

  • The fire practically contained

President Vladimir Putin is "constantly" informed and was "from the first minutes" of the attack, said his spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.

According to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, firefighters managed to evacuate around a hundred people who were in the basement of the room.

“There are still a few outbreaks but the fire has been practically contained. Rescuers were able to enter the auditorium,” the governor of the Russian capital Andrei Vorobiov said on Telegram on Saturday.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the cancellation of all public events this weekend. The capital's main museums and theaters have announced their closure.

  • The wanted attackers

Russian law enforcement officials said they were “searching” for the attackers. They did not specify whether suspects were still in the building at 8 p.m. GMT, although an investigation into a “terrorist act” was opened.

The Islamic State group, which has already targeted Russia several times, claimed on one of its Telegram accounts that its fighters "attacked a large gathering (...) in the vicinity of the Russian capital Moscow".

Ukraine quickly denied any responsibility, even blaming the Russian secret services.

The United States warned Russia in March of a terrorist attack that could target "large gatherings" in Moscow, the White House said Friday, hours after the attack.

“Earlier this month, the US government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, potentially targeting large gatherings, including concerts, and Washington shared this information with Russian authorities,” Adrienne said Watson, spokesperson for the US National Security Council.

According to Adrienne Watson, President Joe Biden's administration has implemented a long-standing "duty to warn" policy, under which the United States notifies targeted countries when it receives intelligence about specific kidnapping threats. or assassinations.

The US Embassy in Russia warned its citizens two weeks ago that it was "closely monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts."

03:39

With AFP

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