ISIS shares visuals of Moscow attack, Putin pledges retribution
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to "justly and inevitably punish" those implicated in the attack that took place at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, where armed assailants clad in camouflage unleashed gunfire. Meanwhile, the Islamic State (ISIS) released visuals of the four gunmen who carried out the massacre on Friday in the Russian capital, which claimed the lives of more than 130 people.
Details on ISIS visuals of Moscow attack
In a minute-long clip released by the terrorist group's Amaq news agency, ISIS attackers can be seen screaming and attacking victims. Before this, the terror outfit had also released a photo of what it said were the four attackers behind the shooting rampage, just hours after taking full responsibility for the attack. "The attack comes within the context of a raging war between the Islamic State and countries fighting Islam," Reuters quoted an Amaq statement as saying.
Trigger warning: Minute-long clip released by ISIS
Putin promises retaliation for Moscow terrorist assault
Following the Moscow attack, President Putin on Saturday (local time) pledged retribution. In his national address, Putin declared, "We will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists who prepared this atrocity, this strike against Russia, against our people." The Kremlin also confirmed that authorities have apprehended 11 people, including the four suspected gunmen in the Moscow attack.
Suspects apprehended near Russia-Belarus border
The suspects were detained in Khatsun village in the Bryansk region, close to the Russia-Belarus border. During questioning, one suspect allegedly admitted to firing at people at the concert venue for financial gain, disclosing he was promised "half a million rubles ($5,425)" and had received half of that sum. The Russian Interior Ministry also verified that all four suspects were foreign nationals. Some of those detained are allegedly from Tajikistan.
Crocus City Hall worst attack in Russia in 20 years
The Crocus City Hall attack has become the deadliest in Russia since the Beslan school siege 20 years ago, when armed men demanding Chechnya's independence killed 334 people and held 1,100 hostages for three days. Russia has not experienced a large terrorist assault on its own territory since a blast on the St. Petersburg metro killed 14 people in 2017.
