Moscow concert hall attack: Death toll rises as ISIS claim responsibility for Russian theatre shooting at Crocus City Hall

Hundreds of people stood in line Saturday morning to donate blood and plasma, Russia’s health ministry said.

There were long queues outside the Blood Centre of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, in Moscow.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko confirmed their readiness to work together in the fight against terrorism in a phone call, the TASS news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying on Saturday.

Russia has arrested 11 people including four suspected gunmen in connection with a shooting rampage that killed 93 people in a concert hall near Moscow, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Eleven people have been detained after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow and opened fire on the crowd, the head of Russia‘s Federal Security Service told President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

At least 93 people were killed in the attack, including three children, Russian authorities said Saturday.

Mr Khinshtein said a pistol, a magazine for an assault rifle, and passports from Tajikistan were found in the car.

Two people suspected of carrying out a deadly attack near Moscow on Friday have been detained in Russia‘s Bryansk region following a car chase, lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram on Saturday.

Other suspects fled into a nearby forest on foot, Khinshtein said.

Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers near Moscow on Friday, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145 in an attack claimed by ISIS.

Gunmen who opened fire at a Moscow concert hall killed more than 60 people and wounded over 100 while sparking an inferno, authorities said on March 23, 2024, with the Islamic State group clai ming responsibility.

Ukrainian forces shot down at least 31 of 34 attack drones launched overnight by Russia, Kyiv’s air force said.

The Iranian-made drones were downed over parts of central, southern and southeastern Ukraine, the military said.

Chinese president Xi Jinping has sent condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a deadly shooting at a concert hall near Moscow, saying China opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns terrorist attacks.

China firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to maintain national security and stability, Mr Xi said today, reported CCTV state television.

More than 60 people were killed yesterday in Moscow after Islamic State gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers.

Mr Putin was being updated by security chiefs about the situation, including from Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Kremlin said.

Russian investigators published pictures of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon, vests with multiple spare magazines and bags of spent bullet casings.

Three children were among those killed in an attack on a concert near Moscow on Friday, the Russian state news agency RIA said, citing the regional healthcare ministry.

Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers near Moscow yesterday, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145 in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.

In the deadliest attack in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, gunmen sprayed civilians with bullets just before Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” was to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat the Crocus City Hall just west of the capital.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the terrorist attack in Moscow that took place yesterday and killed more than 60 people.

“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, the Russian Federation, on 22 March 2024,” it said in a statement.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” the UNSC said.

White House national security communications spokesperson John Kirby said the US is trying to get more information on the shooting and directed the reporters to speak to the Russian officials on the incident.

“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch, and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack,” he said.

The US embassy on 7 March repeatedly urged all American citizens to leave Russia immediately, giving no further details about the nature of the threat, but said people should avoid concerts and crowds and be aware of their surroundings.