Terror in Russia: At least 40 dead in shooting and explosion in Moscow concert hall

At least 40 people were killed and 100 were injured in an attack at a large concert hall near Moscow on Friday, Russia’s FSB security service said.

At least five gunmen were shown in videos firing repeatedly at civilians in the Crocus City Hall.

RIA news agency said the attackers “threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire” in the concert hall.

Video footage published on Russian social media channels showed chaotic scenes, with a large crowd of concertgoers attempting to flee the hall, followed by gunshots.

Other video footage showed a number of people lying motionless in pools of blood outside the hall.

TASS news agency reported an explosion and a fire in the building where the shooting took place.

Helicopters sought to douse the flames and evacuated around 100 people from the basement, Russian media reported. The roof of the venue was collapsing, RIA said.

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, which Russia’s foreign ministry condemned as a “a bloody terrorist attack”.

“The entire world community must condemn this despicable crime!”, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the incident a “terrible tragedy.”

“Today a terrible tragedy occurred in the Crocus City center. My condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I gave orders to provide all necessary assistance to everyone who suffered during the incident,” Sobyanin said in a statement.

(Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)