MOSCOW: Russia observed a national day of mourning on Sunday after a massacre in a Moscow concert hall, as the death toll climbed to 137 in the attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

President Vladimir Putin has vowed to punish those behind the “barbaric terrorist attack”, saying four gunmen trying to flee to Ukraine had been arrested.

On the other hand, Kyiv strongly denied any connection to the attack, with President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Putin of trying to shift the blame.

Later, Basma­nny district court charged two suspects, Dalerdzhon Barotovich Mirzoyev and Saidakrami Murodali Rac­h­abalizoda, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

At least 137 people, including three children, were killed when camouflaged gunmen stormed the Crocus City Hall, in Moscow’s northern suburb of Krasnogorsk, and then set fire to the building.

On Sunday, Russia’s Inve­s­tigative Committee said that guns and rounds of ammunition had been found both there and in a car that was used by the suspected gunmen to flee the scene. Later, a video was posted showing four suspects being dragged into its headquarters in Moscow.

The IS group earlier in a Telegram post on Saturday claimed that the attack was “carried out by four IS fighters armed with mach­ine guns, a pistol, knives and firebombs” as part of “the raging war” with “countries fighting Islam”.

A video lasting about a minute and half, apparently filmed by the gunmen, has been posted on social media accounts typically used by IS, according to SITE intelligence group.

The president of Tajikistan condemned the Moscow concert hall attack in a call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, amid allegations the gunmen were Tajik citizens.

On Sunday, mourners continued to stream to the concert hall and lay flowers at a tribute to the victims.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2024