Moscow concert hall attack: At least 11 suspects arrested

Moscow: The local authorities took 11 suspects four of whom were armed into custody for their role in connection with the assault on a concert hall that took place on Friday.

The attack on the concert hall resulted into the loss of 115 lives.

The incident, deemed one of the deadliest in Russia in the last decade, unfolded at the crowded Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow, just prior to a performance by the Soviet-era rock band Piknik.

As the investigation progresses, the death toll has climbed to 115, with additional casualties discovered during the debris clearance process. Reports indicate that some of the assailants may have fled towards the Russia-Ukraine border, with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) highlighting their connections within the country. President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the situation by FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, who provided details of the arrest of 11 individuals, including the four suspected terrorists involved in the attack.

Despite President Putin's absence from public view since the incident, the Kremlin asserts that he remains continuously updated on developments. It has been revealed that casualties resulted not only from gunshot wounds but also from smoke inhalation after the assailants set fire to the concert hall.

Over 100 individuals remain hospitalized, and there are indications of possible involvement of suspects from Tajikistan, though Tajikistan's foreign ministry has yet to receive official confirmation. In a poignant display of solidarity, residents of Moscow queued in the rain to donate blood, as documented in videos shared by state media outlets.

While the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian authorities have officially labeled it as a terrorist act without directly addressing the group's assertion.

The tragic event follows recent actions by the FSB, including the prevention of a potential attack on a Moscow synagogue by Islamic State militants, and the apprehension of individuals allegedly planning sabotage acts on Russian military facilities.