Moscow attack death toll rises to ‘at least’ 133
US confirms ISIS did it… but Putin blames Ukraine
‘‘ Those who ordered this crime will be punished…they moved towards Ukraine
THE death toll of the Moscow concert massacre rose to at least 133 last night as Russia pointed the finger at Ukraine.
US intelligence has confirmed that Islamic State was responsible for Friday’s atrocity – but in a televised address yesterday, President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine had helped the terrorists.
He said: “All the perpetrators, organisers and those who ordered this crime will be justly and inevitably punished.
“They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the border.”
Police have arrested 11 people, including four gunmen accused of launching the attack on Friday, which left 183 wounded.
Pictures showed the burned-out shell of Crocus City Hall, 12 miles from the Kremlin, as workers combed the wreckage for bodies and mourners left flowers outside.
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According to Russian news site Baza, all four alleged gunmen are from ex-soviet republic Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan.
Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch has claimed responsibility for the slaughter in Russia’s capital.
Terrorists wielding AKM assault rifles burst into the hall as fans gathered for a gig by Russian rock band Picnic. Footage appeared to show them shooting people at point-blank range, including some who were lying on the ground.
The attackers then used explosives to set fire to the building, which can hold more than 6,000 people. The bloodbath, the deadliest in Russia in years, came days after despot Putin cemented his 25-year grip on power following a highly orchestrated electoral landslide – and as his war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.
Russian officials immediately accused Ukraine but Kyiv’s foreign ministry said yesterday: “We categorically reject accusations of Ukraine’s alleged involvement.”
It accused the Kremlin of using the atrocity to try to “further fuel anti-ukrainian hysteria in Russia”.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, posted on X: “Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods. Everything in this war will be decided on the battlefield.”
Earlier this month, the US embassy warned Russian authorities that ISIS extremists had “imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow”, including concerts. Other embassies repeated the alerts and Britain advised against travel to Russia.
Three days before the attack, Putin dismissed the reports as a bid to “destabilise our society”, accusing Ukraine of switching to “terrorist tactics”.
news@irishmirror.ie