France condemns 'heinous' gun attack on Moscow concert hall

France joined other Western countries in condemning a gun attack on a concert hall in the Russian capital on Friday night, which killed more than 130 people and injured many more. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

In this grab taken from video released by Investigative Committee of Russia on March 23, 2024, an investigator examines the burned Crocus City concert hall after an attack on the building on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. © AP

French President Emmanuel Macron "strongly condemns the terrorist attack" on Moscow's Crocus City Hall, said a statement from the presidential palace. 

"France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their loved ones and all the Russian people."

At least 133 people were killed in the attack, according to Russian authorities' latest count on Saturday.

Hundreds of fans were at the hall in a northern suburb of Moscow for a rock concert when, minutes before the music was due to start, armed attackers opened fire.

They also set the hall alight, starting a blaze that spread throughout the building. 

Panicked spectators rushed for the exits, with some escaping into the basement or onto the roof. 

"The images from Moscow tonight are horrifying," France's foreign ministry wrote in a social media post as the attack unfolded.

"All effort has to be made to determine the causes of these heinous acts."

Eleven arrested

A statement released by the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, but Russia did not immediately identify who it believes is to blame.

The Kremlin said on Saturday that it had arrested 11 people over the attack, including four suspected gunmen.

It did not name them. In a televised address, President Vladimir Putin claimed that the suspects were captured while trying to escape to Ukraine.

The European Union and United Nations condemned the attack, along with the United States and other Western countries that – like France – have sided with Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion.

The White House deplored the "horrible" events, but said there was no sign of Ukrainian involvement.

• France's Macron says ground operations in Ukraine possible ‘at some point’
• Paris rejects Russian accusations of French mercenaries in Ukraine

Rising death toll

The US embassy had said two weeks before the attack that there was a risk of "extremists" targeting mass gatherings in Moscow, including concerts.

Earlier this month, Russian authorities announced that six suspected Islamic State fighters had been killed in an operation in Ingushetia, a small Muslim-majority republic in the Caucasus region.

Russia has been the target of past attacks by Islamic militants, but also mass killings with no clear political link.

Russian authorities on Saturday raised the death toll from the Moscow shooting several times. First estimated around 40, it climbed to over 130 – making the attack the deadliest in Russia in two decades.

Authorities said over 100 others were in hospital, more than half of them in serious condition. At least five children are reported to be among the wounded.

(with AFP)