Moscow terror attack: Death count rises to 143; Putin ‘vows’ retribution

A group of armed men stormed into Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow and opened fire and detonated explosives on Friday night.

The death toll in the attack rose to 143, Reuters reported citing the local media. A day after the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation and vowed retribution for the attackers. He also announced a day of mourning in the country on March 24.

Several videos went viral on social media since Friday night in which the attackers can be seen shooting civilians at point-blank range. Some videos and pictures also showed flames rising from the venue.

The Russian authorities have detained four men who allegedly carried out the attack. According to the local media, the men fled the scene in a white car after the attack, however, they were detained in the Bryansk region, about 340 km (210 miles) southwest of Moscow, reported Reuters.

In a video going viral on social media, one of the suspects, who was shown being interrogated on the side of the road, said that he shot people “for money”. According to the man, he had been promised half a million roubles over Telegram where he had been listening to a preacher, reported Reuters.

During a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Putin vowed harsh retribution to all those involved in the attack. “All four perpetrators of the terrorist attack who shot and killed people have been detained…Terrorists, murderers, non-humans will face the unenviable fate of retribution and oblivion,” he said.

Putin also called the attack at the concert hall in Moscow a “barbaric terrorist act”, adding that additional security measures have been imposed throughout the country.

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, around four hours after the shooting began. The United States also said that it had intelligence confirming the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the deadly shooting.

Meanwhile, Putin suggested that Ukraine was linked to the attack, saying that the four attackers who have been detained had sought to escape towards Ukraine. He added that the preliminary information showed that some people on the Ukrainian side had prepared to let the attackers cross the border from Russia.

However, an official from Kyiv’s military spy agency said that Ukraine was not involved in the attack and that the suggestions of a Ukrainian link “have nothing in common with reality”.
The United States had warned Russia about the possibility of an attack in Moscow, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said on Friday.