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Who owns Moscow Crocus City Hall and claims responsibility for attack?

President Vladimir Putin has not yet made a public statement about the attack.

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1 month ago

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ISIS claimed responsibility for an assault at a popular concert venue complex near Moscow on Friday.

The attack resulted in at least 40 fatalities and over 100 injuries as attackers raided the venue with firearms and incendiary devices.

The terror group asserted accountability for the assault in a brief statement released by the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday. However, the group did not present any evidence to substantiate their claim.

Crocus City Hall, a prominent establishment under the Crocus Group, is owned by businessman and construction tycoon Aras Agalarov.

Following the attack, Agalarov and his son Emin convened an urgent meeting with security personnel and management at the venue.

The Crocus Group, headed by Agalarov, is renowned as one of Russia’s largest construction firms and has secured government contracts for significant projects, including World Cup stadiums and sections of Moscow’s Central Ring Road.

Aras Agalarov, an Azerbaijani-born billionaire and real estate mogul based in Moscow, gained international attention when he met Donald Trump in 2013 while sponsoring the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow.

Correspondence revealed by Donald Trump Jr. indicates that Agalarov sought to arrange a meeting between members of the Trump campaign and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016.

According to Russia 24 state media, the roof of the venue has partially collapsed due to the attack. The incident occurred just before the music group Picnic was scheduled to perform, as reported by Russia 24.

The band’s manager, speaking to state media, confirmed that the performers were unharmed.

The Russia Prosecutor General’s Office stated, as reported by TASS, that “Unidentified individuals in camouflage attire forcibly entered Crocus City Hall and initiated gunfire prior to the commencement of the concert.

Regional governor Andrey Vorobyov assured that all efforts were being made to rescue individuals.

A SWAT team was dispatched to the location, with over 70 ambulance teams and medical professionals aiding the victims. TASS reported that approximately 100 individuals were evacuated from the premises by firefighters.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with efforts focused on retrieving individuals from the roof, as stated by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation.

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