Putin hints CIA helped Ukraine carry out Moscow terror attack

Four heavily armed men entered a popular concert hall and started shooting, causing heavy casualties.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The death toll in the terrorist attack at Crocus city hall in Moscow, Russia that took place on Friday evening is likely to cross 150. The figure is likely to rise with many of the injured being in serious condition.

In an attack reminiscent of what Mumbai witnessed in November 2008, when Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorists had attacked public places in India’s commercial capital, at least four heavily armed men entered a popular concert hall in Moscow, just 20 km from the well-fortified area of Kremlin, and started firing at the people who were inside the hall.

Multiple videos seen by The Sunday Guardian show the four terrorists, without showing any signs of panic or alarm, shooting down the people very calmly, suggesting that they were highly trained in combat situations. Similar scenes were witnessed in Mumbai, 15 years ago.

Most of the people in Moscow died from gunshot wounds and poisoning by combustion, which happened after the terrorists set the place on fire by using incendiary tools that they had brought with themselves, which led to the collapse of the roof of the hall that led to more fatalities.

According to initial investigations, the terrorists deliberately set emergency exits on fire to block people from fleeing. At some doors several bodies were lying in a pile, depicting how the victims must have tried to leave the burning hall.
Later, all the four terrorists escaped by dropping their weapons and mingling with the crowd that was running away from the spot.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to reach out to convey his solidarity with the Russian people during the tragedy. “We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief,” he posted on social media platform “X”.