India stands with Russia: PM Modi reacts to Moscow attack

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condemned the "heinous terrorist attack" at a concert hall in Moscow, which claimed the lives of over 60 people and left over 100 others injured.

"We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief," PM Modi wrote on X.

The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The assailants stormed the venue with guns and incendiary devices, causing chaos and destruction.

The terror group's claim was reported by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram. Although they did not provide evidence to support their assertion. Video footage from the scene depicted the harrowing situation as attendees tried to seek safety amidst gunfire and explosions, with the concert hall eventually catching fire.

According to state-run RIA Novosti, the armed individuals opened fire using automatic weapons and hurled either a grenade or an incendiary bomb, igniting a fire at the scene. Then, they purportedly escaped in a white Renault car.

US issued warning to Russian officials

The claim of responsibility by ISIS for the attack near Moscow was also confirmed by US officials shortly afterwards, according to a report by the New York Times. US officials stated that they had privately shared intelligence with Russian officials regarding the threat of an impending attack, the report added.

In March, the US gathered intelligence indicating that ISIS-K (Islamic State-Khorasan), the Afghanistan-based branch of ISIS, was planning an attack in Moscow. A US official mentioned that ISIS members have been active in Russia.

US officials stated that besides publicly warning about a potential attack on March 7, they had also shared intelligence privately with Russian counterparts. However, the extent of the information shared beyond the public warning remains unclear.

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