Three suspects plead guilty over attack on Moscow concert hall
State security services say at least 40 people are dead and over a hundred injured after heavily armed gunmen burst into a packed theater near Moscow and opened fire.
Now, it happened at the Crocus concert hall, part of which is in flames after explosives were detonated. Steve Rosenberg, our Russia editor, has the very latest from Moscow, and there are some upsetting scenes in his report. Steve Rosenberg, a russian concert hall under attack.
Gunmen had stormed the venue near Moscow, the Crocus city hall. They went on the rampage, shooting their way through the building and into the auditorium
There was supposed to be a rock concert here. Instead, this, the attackers walked through the stalls firing indiscriminately. Dozens of people are reported to have been killed. They’ve set the hall on fire. The hall’s on fire,
he says as more shots ring out, then the rush to escape. There’s panic, panic, she says, as the crowds fled from the auditorium and tried to get out. Soon the whole building was ablaze. The mayor of Moscow said it was a terrible tragedy.
The russian foreign ministry called it a bloody terrorist attack. I saw how the terrorists came in and started shooting everyone, he says. We were led to an exit, but it was locked. We ran around looking for a way out. In the end,
we went into the basement and waited for the emergency services. Police and russian special forces rushed to the scene. Some of the attackers are reported to have escaped. The search is on to find them.
Two weeks ago, the US embassy here issued a warning that extremists plan to target large gatherings in Moscow, including concerts, within 48 hours. It’s not clear whether there’s any connection between that alert and this attack.
The images are just horrible and just hard to watch. And our thoughts, obviously, are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack. Who were the attackers? There’s been no confirmation on their identities from the russian authorities, but late tonight,
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The scale of destruction and loss of. Life is becoming clear after an assault on civilians that has shocked Russia. Shock,
the operative word. Steve, any word tonight on the whereabouts of the attackers? Did they get away? Well, the latest information we have is they did get away, possibly in a white car. So the search is on to find them.
Who were they? Ukraine has said it had nothing to do with this attack. And as I mentioned in that report a short while ago, there were reports that Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack on the consul.
The russian authorities have yet to comment on that. Vladimir Putin has made no public comment on what happened at the Croaker city concert hall.
But we’re told he’s been kept up to date with events there. Meanwhile, security has been stepped up here in the russian capital at key installations. So, for example, at airports, at railway stations, of course, questions are already being asked. Clive,
how is it possible for armed. Men to get into a very prominent concert venue where there were potentially thousands of people attending this concert and carry out such a bloody attack,
especially since earlier this month, us diplomats had warned that some kind of attack on a public gathering in Moscow, possibly a concert, was imminent. Now,
the Americans were talking about an attack within 48 hours. It didn’t happen. But, of course, what we’ve seen tonight in Moscow was a terrible attack,
at least dozens of people killed, and an attack which has shocked this whole country. Yeah. Steve, briefly, you mentioned Islamic State claiming responsibility. Is that a shock,
a surprise potentially to people where you are? Well, there were suggestions that an is attack was possible here, so perhaps it won’t come as so much of a shock, but as I say,
the search continues for the attackers and perhaps we’ll. Have more information on this tomorrow. Sure. Okay. The live shot there, the scene outside that concert hall, security, of course, incredibly stepped up.
Thanks, Steve. STEVE ROSENBERG there in Moscow. Let’s get reaction from Washington with Sarah Smith, our North America editor, who is there. And from Kiev, Sarah Rainsford, our Eastern Europe correspondent, is there, too. Sarah, first of all,
what are the White House saying about all this? Well, here us officials are saying that America does have intelligence which they believe confirms that Islamic State were responsible for this attack. They believe the statement made by ISIS, our news partner here in America, CBS, has a source who says that there’s been.