Moscow, tragedy struck as a terrorist attack claimed the lives of 40 innocent civilians and left over 100 others injured. The city was left in shock and mourning as news of the devastating event spread like wildfire.
The attack, which targeted a crowded market in the heart of Moscow, was a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of terrorism in today's world. The senseless loss of life and the suffering inflicted upon so many families is a harsh reality that cannot be ignored.
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.
Witness videos on social media show at least three attackers firing at bystanders as they attempted to hide. Other images show people lying on the ground in the main concert hall before a fire breaks out and spreads, trapping some inside. Several people were spotted on the venue's roof.
Sergey Sobyanin said "a huge tragedy has occurred" as the number of dead is expected to rise, and expressed his condolences.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Friday’s raid was a “huge tragedy.” President Vladimir Putin was being given continuous updates about the situation, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Putin also wished a speedy recovery to those injured, state news agency TASS reported on Saturday, citing Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.
In October 2002, Chechen militants took about 800 people hostage at a Moscow theater. Two days later, Russian special forces stormed the building and 129 hostages and 41 Chechen fighters died, most of them from effects of narcotic gas Russian forces use to subdue the attackers.
Beslan in southern Russia taking hundreds of hostages. The siege ended in a bloodbath two days later and more than 330 people, about half of them children, were killed.
Responding to a question about whether Washington had any prior information about the assault, Kirby responded: “I’m not aware of any advance knowledge that we had of this terrible attack.”
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