In the deadliest terror attack to hit Russia in years, gunmen wearing war fatigues opened fire and detonated bombs in a large music hall outside of Moscow, leaving at least 60 dead and 145 wounded.
A representative for Russia's Investigative Committee was quoted by state news agency Ria on Saturday, stating that there could be more casualties and that it was too soon to speculate about the assailants' whereabouts.
According to the regional healthcare ministry, three children were among the deceased, as reported by Ria on Saturday. Five children were among the victims, according to earlier statements from the authorities, and roughly sixty people were in critical condition.
Late on Friday, the Islamic State took credit for the attack in a Telegram statement in which it stated that its militants had succeeded in escaping. Washington obtained intelligence verifying the allegation made by Islamic State, according to a US official.
Images of Crocus City Hall on fire surfaced, and recordings appeared that showed at least four attackers firing automatic guns while terrified Russians ran for their lives.
In one video, three soldiers in fatigues with weapons fired at close range onto people lying all around the concert hall lobby.
It appears that the attackers used explosives during the assault as well. According to news agencies, there were at least two explosions at the music hall on Friday night.
By late evening, Moscow and its suburbs' citizens were being warned to keep an eye out for any traces of the assailants as Russian authorities began a widespread manhunt for the gunmen involved in the incident. None of the suspects were immediately identified by the Russian government.
Web videos depicted horrifying images of individuals pleading for aid from the performance hall's roof while it burned down behind them. Additional camera footage captured individuals running down stairwells, shouting, and crawling out of the music venue on their hands and knees.
A witness claimed to have heard "several machine gun bursts" and "a lot of screams" just as he was getting comfortable in his seat.
The man, who went by Alexei, told AFP, "I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it's the worst: a terrorist attack."
Another concertgoer recounted scenes of terror as scared individuals attempted to flee. "A stampede got under way. He told Reuters that "everyone ran to the escalator." "Everybody was running and screaming."
To put out the fire, at least three emergency helicopters had been sent in. The Crocus City Mall's roof had partially collapsed, according to reports from the local media. The emergency ministry declared that the fire was suppressed just after midnight.
