Following the attack on a concert hall in Moscow that left at least 137 dead, the French government has declared the highest alert level. In addition to the devastating attack, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also referred to “threats to which our country is exposed” to justify the increase in the threat level.
In France, the highest alert level is declared when there is believed to be an imminent threat of attack. The decision was made “in view of the fact that Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack and in view of the threats to which our country is exposed,” Attal explained on the online service X.
Suspects in court
The first two suspects were arraigned in court in the Russian capital on Sunday evening. The two men were formally charged with participating in a terrorist attack. They risk life imprisonment. According to the Russian government, a total of eleven arrests were made following the attack. All suspects are foreigners.
Masked attackers broke into the crowded Crocus Town Hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk on Friday evening and fired Kalashnikovs indiscriminately at visitors before setting the building on fire. Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist militia claimed responsibility. Western experts specifically suspect that IS Khorasan province, a regional branch, is behind the attack.
Although the terrorists have claimed responsibility for the crime, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees a “Ukrainian trail” behind the attack – without citing any evidence. Such claims are also widely spread online by Russian propagandists.
“Senseless cruelty”
The bloody attack took place shortly before the popular Russian rock band Piknik was to perform in the concert hall. Members of the group placed flowers for the victims in front of the hall on Sunday evening. After a minute of silence, they expressed their condolences to the relatives. “This atrocity is senseless, unimaginable cruelty,” said bandleader Edmund Schkljarski.
Source: Krone
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