The death toll from the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow has tragically climbed to 133, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF). The bloody assault, described by President Vladimir Putin as a “bloody, barbaric terrorist act,” has not only shocked Russia but also triggered a geopolitical blame game, with the Russian-backed “Donetsk People’s Republic” leader Denis Pushilin pointing fingers at Ukraine – an accusation sharply refuted by Kyiv and the United States.
The ICRF detailed, “The death toll from the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall has risen to 133 people during the rubble clearance. Search and rescue operations are underway.” This figure surpasses the initial reports which noted that 93 individuals had been killed and another 107 hospitalised. The magnitude of this attack is the deadliest Russia has seen since the Beslan tragedy in 2004, where a school siege led to the loss of 334 lives.
The aftermath of the attack has seen a flurry of political statements and accusations. Pushilin claimed without providing evidence, “We know the cynicism of the Ukrainian regime and those who lead it.” This rhetoric was echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova who condemned the West’s alleged leniency towards Kyiv on the Russia-24 TV channel. She proclaimed, “Russia would do everything to make the Western community finally wake up from the ‘drug of permissiveness’ for Kyiv.”
However, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) and the White House have dismissed any Ukrainian involvement in the gruesome incident. President Putin, nonetheless, has insisted that the suspects had been intercepted trying to flee to Ukraine, alleging that a “back door” had been prepared for them, a claim that Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence deemed entirely devoid of truth.
The terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly incident. A US official said Friday that Washington had no reason to doubt ISIS’ claim.
The development prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday to call for global cooperation against ISIS.
“ISIS is a terrorist organization that is operating in several parts of the world, and it is a very serious threat to us all … and we encourage all countries to work with each other in order to make sure that ISIS will not have the capacity to strike again anywhere else in the world,” Guterres said at a news conference.
Relevant articles:
– Terrorist attack in Moscow Oblast: death toll rises to 133, Russians raise death penalty issue
– Crocus concert hall attack suspects detained, Russia says, as death toll rises to 133, CNN, Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:32:00 GMT
– Putin says gunmen who raided Moscow concert hall tried to escape to Ukraine. Kyiv denies involvement, The Associated Press, Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:09:08 GMT
– Death toll from Moscow concert hall attack rises to 133 as Putin addresses the nation, NPR, Sat, 23 Mar 2024 16:14:47 GMT