Russia Mass Killing: ISIS Claims Responsibility, 11 Suspects Detained Over Attack

The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has officially claimed responsibility for a devastating attack on the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, which resulted in the tragic loss of at least 93 lives and left over 150 persons hospitalized.

Following the attack, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) sprang into action, detaining 11 suspects linked to this heinous crime. Among those arrested, four individuals were identified as being directly involved in the execution of the terrorist attack. Aleksandr Bortnikov, the head of FSB, confirmed these arrests in a briefing to President Vladimir Putin, highlighting the swift response of the authorities to this brutal act of terrorism.

The attack, which involved gunmen in camouflage attire who indiscriminately fired automatic weapons at unsuspecting concertgoers, was meticulously planned and executed with a level of brutality that has left the nation in shock. The terror group’s claim of responsibility was made through a brief statement released by the ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on the messaging platform Telegram. However, ISIS did not provide any evidence to back their claim.

In the aftermath of the attack, Russian law enforcement agencies launched an extensive manhunt. Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein revealed that the attackers attempted to flee in a Renault vehicle, which was later spotted by police in the Bryansk region, approximately 340 km southwest of Moscow. Despite attempts to evade capture, two suspects were apprehended following a car chase, while two others initially escaped into a forest, only to be later detained.

Among the items recovered from the suspects were a pistol, an assault rifle magazine, and passports from Tajikistan, shedding light on the possible origins of the attackers. This attack has not only highlighted the persistent threat of terrorism but also the international nature of these extremist networks.