Moscow – Hours after a devastating terror attack rocked a concert hall in Moscow, the Russian authorities identified four people out of the 11 detained, to be directly involved in the attack. On Friday, armed assailants barged inside Moscow's Crocus concert hall and opened fire at a gathering killing at least people including three children. Alexander Bortnikov, the director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that 11 individuals were arrested after a thorough investigation into the terror incident, Interfax reported.

Bortnikov went on to note that out of the 11 people detained, 4 people were arrested due to their alleged involvement in the Friday attack. “As a result of the actions of the special services and law enforcement agencies, 11 people were detained, including 4 terrorists who were directly involved in the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall,”  Bortnikov said in a statement. “After committing the terrorist attack, the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border and had relevant contacts on the Ukrainian side. The investigation into the terrorist attack continues,” he added. The FSB chief went on to tell the Russian leader that they are working on identifying the accomplice base of the perpetrators of the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall. 

What we know so far

• On Friday, a concert hall in Moscow named  Crocus City Hall faced a major terror attack after multiple armed assailants opened fire in the hall and set the building on fire. 
•  Upto five gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack with the videos of the terrorist committing the crime circulated online. 
• Hours after the attack, Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attack with Russian authorities initiating a massive manhunt across the country. 
• World Leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack and extended condolences to the victims of the attack. 
• Amid the chaos reports started to emerge that the US and the UK intelligence agencies warned Kremlin of such an attack. 

• While the White House condemned the attack, it also made it clear that US President Joe Biden does not have any calls scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden is yet to give a public statement on the matter.
• Russia went on to tighten security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital – a vast urban area of more than 21 million people. All large-scale public events have been cancelled across the country.
• FSB stated that they have detained 11 people in the attack out of which 4 terrorists were accused of being directly involved. 

• The death toll eventually rose to 115 with 121 people are believed to be hospitalised. The toll also included three children. 
• The authorities also found that flammable liquid was used to set fire to the concert hall. 

• Russia went on to request that the UNSC to conduct an emergency meeting, following which the international body released a statement on the matter.  “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, the Russian Federation, on 22 March 2024," UNSC said in a statement. “The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," the statement further reads.