Moscow concert hall attack: what we know so far

Forty people are reported to have been killed and more than 100 wounded after gunmen opened fire at Crocus City Hall

• Moscow attack – latest updates

Dozens of people have reportedly been killed and more than 100 wounded in an attack at a concert venue near Moscow.

Here is what we know about the shooting so far:

Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk near Moscow on Friday evening during a sold-out concert by the Russian rock group Piknik. Crocus City Hall is one of the largest and most popular music venues in the Moscow oblast.

Forty people are reported dead and more than 100 wounded after the shooting as of 19.15 GMT, Russian state news agencies said, citing Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Up to five gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by any group, but Russian prosecutors described the attack as “an act of terrorism”.

Videos emerged showing gunmen in tactical gear opening fire from automatic weapons as panicked Russians fled for their lives. The attackers also apparently detonated explosives, as the sounds of blasts could be heard in other videos from the attack.

TASS reported that people remained inside the building, which is almost completely engulfed in flames and that others were trapped on the roof.

Speznaz units of Russia’s national guard as well as police and firefighters were at the scene.

Earlier this month, western countries led by the United States had issued terror warnings and told their citizens not to join public gatherings in Russia. On 8 March, the US embassy wrote it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and US citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours”.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/XjLDsSZ