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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended solidarity with Russia and condemned the terrorist attack that claimed over 60 lives and injured several others. “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,” PM Modi stated in a post on social media.
The attack unfolded at a concert hall in Moscow on Friday, where terrorists opened fire on the crowd, resulting in more than 60 fatalities and over 100 injuries. The assailants also set fire to the venue in a brazen act of violence.
ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack which saw the gunmen storming the Crocus City Hall in Moscow at around 8 p.m. (local time) at a concert of rock band Piknik that was about to begin.
The attackers, who had not attempted to take hostages or make any statements but shot people indiscriminately, have barricaded themselves inside the burning building. The toll is expected to go up, the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) was quoted by the media as saying.
The United States said it had warned earlier in March about a possible terrorist attack targeting “large gatherings” in Moscow, the White House said Friday, hours after the attack. “Earlier this month, the US government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts” and Washington “shared this information with Russian authorities,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.
Watson said the administration of US President Joe Biden was complying with a long-standing “duty to warn” policy, in which the United States alerts nations or groups when it receives intelligence of specific threats to kidnap or kill multiple victims.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “The Russian Foreign Ministry is receiving phone calls with condolences from ordinary citizens from all around the globe following the horrible tragedy at the Krokus City Hall venue in Moscow. They are expressing the strongest condemnation of this bloody terrorist attack, transpiring right before the eyes of the entire world.”
