At least 133 killed, scores injured in Moscow concert attack

KABUL (Pajhwok): The death toll from Friday’s attack at the Crocus City Hall music venue near Moscow, Russia has reached 133 people and over 100 others injured, according to media reports on Saturday.

“As the rubble was being removed in the concert hall of the Crocus City Hall, the number of people killed in the terrorist attack has risen to 133, the search operation is underway,” the Russian Investigative Committee the statement said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared March 24 a day of nationwide mourning after the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall mall.

“I declare March 24 a day of nationwide mourning,” he said in a televised address to the nation.

Eleven people including four suspected gunmen in connection with the attack.

On Friday night, gunmen sprayed civilian concertgoers with bullets at the Crocus City Hall west of Moscow, Reuters reported, citing a Kremlin statement.

The militant Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack but there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite a statement from Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak that Kyiv had nothing to do with it.

The FSB security service said “all four terrorists” had been arrested while heading to the Ukrainian border, and that they had contacts in Ukraine. It said they were being transferred to Moscow.

“Now we know in which country these bloody bastards planned to hide from pursuit — Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.

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