97 injured people still in hospital
Kremlin spokesman refuses to comment on IS confession
March 25, 2024, 12:57 p.m
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The Western security authorities agree: IS’s commitment to the attack on the Moscow concert hall is credible. Russia sees it differently, Kremlin spokesman Peskov refuses to comment on this. He also remains silent about the mistreatment of the alleged main perpetrators.
The Kremlin has refused to comment on the IS jihadist militia’s claim to the attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow that left 137 dead. “The investigation is ongoing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “No coherent version has been put forward yet. We are only talking about preliminary data.” Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to visit the crime scene, Peskov added.
Masked attackers broke into the packed Crocus City Hall in the northwest Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk on Friday evening and opened fire. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, at least 137 people were killed, including three children. More than 180 people were injured. It cannot be ruled out that more bodies will be found in the rubble of the burned-out hall.
97 injured people are still being treated in hospitals, said the head of the health administration in the Moscow region, Lyudmila Bolatayeva. The patients are spread across clinics in the capital and the Moscow region. The injuries sustained varied in severity, she told Russian news agencies.
Peskov remains silent about mistreatment
Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia claimed responsibility. Western security authorities and experts believe the confession is credible and suspect the IS offshoot Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK) was behind the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, established a connection between the attack and Ukraine. The government in Kiev denies any involvement in the attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he offered the Russian authorities cooperation in the fight against Islamist extremists. The group responsible for the attack near Moscow is also responsible for “several attempted attacks in recent months” in France, Macron said on the sidelines of a visit to French Guiana. It would be cynical to blame Ukraine for the attack. “We must guard against any instrumentalization or distortion,” he emphasized.
On Sunday, the Russian judiciary ordered two months of pre-trial detention for four suspects. Peskov declined to answer a question Monday about reports that the men were ill-treated after their arrest. “I will leave this question unanswered,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
In the footage shown on state television, three of the men had blood on their faces. A video circulating online appears to show a suspect’s ear being cut. The ntv verification team considers the recordings to be authentic. During the men’s hearing on Sunday evening, one of them had a white bandage on his ear. Another came in a wheelchair.