Multiple Terrorists Attack Concert Venue in Moscow [UPDATE: ISIS Claims Responsibility]

Update 5:40 p.m.: ISIS-K (Khorasan), the Afghanistan-based terrorist offshoot of ISIS, has claimed responsibility. CNN reports that the U.S. warned Russia recently about an imminent attack by ISIS-K. Also, CNN confirms via US intelligence sources that the warning issued on March 7 about an “imminent attack” is directly connected to the Moscow attack.

BREAKING:

ISIS claims responsibility for the terror attack in Moscow pic.twitter.com/izIzHUHIZF

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 22, 2024

Update 5:09 p.m.: We now have footage from inside the venue. The fact that some fire exits were closed or blocked adds to speculation that it was a false flag operation.

“It’s locked, I can’t get out!”

The first footage from inside the burning Crocus City Hall building in #Moscow has emerged. Some fire exits from the building were closed. pic.twitter.com/kUQbnr6yaA

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2024

Update 4:49 p.m.: Russia’s Federal Security Service announced that 40 people have died and more than 100 were wounded in the attack. 

As many as five gunmen armed with automatic weapons and wearing camouflage entered a concert venue in Moscow prior to the start of a performance and opened fire.

Casualty figures are going to be high. Early reports on social media said that dozens had been wounded and up to 12 were dead, but Fox News reports at least 40 dead and dozens wounded.

What’s worse is that the building caught fire and the roof collapsed, trapping hundreds of people, according to reports.

Russian special forces raided the concert venue in the last hour. Witnesses heard gunshots from inside the hall, suggesting possible hostages. This brings to mind the Moscow Theater hostage ordeal of 2002 when Chechen terrorists stormed a theater, taking dozens of hostages. The official death toll for that attack was 132. 

(Warning: Graphic violence)

Horrifying visuals of the terror attack coming out of Moscow. The carnage is unimaginable.

Devastating to say the least.

This world needs peace and sanity. pic.twitter.com/sWFc4mTjVK

— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) March 22, 2024

Who’s responsible? A paramilitary group in Ukraine denies responsibility and suggests it may have been a false flag operation by Putin.

The Free Russia Legion, another Ukrainian-based paramilitary unit of Russian citizens, has also denied responsibility for the attack outside Moscow. In a statement, the group blamed Vladimir Putin and Russian security agents for staging a false-flag operation. The Russian Volunteer Corps has also denied any part in the attack at Crocus City Hall.

According to one journalist, the FSB (Russian Security Service) arrested several ISIS terrorists in Moscow prior to the attack, and the U.S. embassy in Moscow issued a specific warning on March 7 of an “imminent attack in Moscow by extremists.”

Reuters:

 The U.S. embassy in Russia warned that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow, hours after Russian security services said they had foiled a planned shooting at a synagogue by a cell from the Afghan arm of Islamic State.

The embassy, which has repeatedly urged all U.S. citizens to leave Russia immediately, gave no further details about the nature of the threat, but said people should avoid concerts and crowds and be aware of their surroundings.

This is a developing story. More information, including casualty figures, will be added to this post as it becomes available.