Just before 14:30 on Saturday, it is reported that the death toll has risen to 133.
Several of those killed are said to be children. In addition, it is stated that the number of people killed can be expected to rise.
On Saturday morning, the health authorities in Moscow published a list of what are supposed to be the names of 41 people who have been confirmed killed after the attack. It is expected that the real death toll is far higher, but only these 41 have so far been identified.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Saturday morning, the Russian media reported that 11 people had been arrested after the terrorist attack. Among these 11 people are four suspected perpetrators.
The four perpetrators are said to have been arrested in Bryansk, which is located in the middle of the border between Ukraine and Belarus. The FSB, the Russian security police, claims that the terrorists were on their way to Ukraine.
Ukrainian and American authorities deny that Ukraine has anything to do with the attack.
– The Russian version about Ukraine is unsustainable and absurd, writes Mykhajlo Podoljak on the messaging service X, formerly Twitter. He is an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Keep up to date on the war in Ukraine, listen to Nettavisen’s “Ukrainapodden” here.
Støre condemns the attack
NTB reports that Jonas Gahr Støre condemns the terrorist attack in Moscow.
– I condemn the terrorist attack on civilians inside a concert hall in Moscow. This is a terrible attack on innocent people who spent Friday at a concert together. We feel for those affected, says Støre in a statement.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that they have no reason to believe that Norwegians have been affected by the attack.
– About 20 Norwegian citizens have registered in Russia through the Foreign Ministry, says press contact Mathias Rongved to NTB.
He emphasizes that it is voluntary for Norwegian citizens to register when they are abroad, and that the actual figure may therefore be higher.
– So far we have no reason to believe that Norwegian citizens have been affected by the attack, he adds.
At half past two on Saturday afternoon, Putin makes a televised speech after the terrorist attack.
In the speech, Putin called the attack a bloody and barbaric terrorist attack, and declared that March 24 will be a national day of mourning. He also repeated the allegations that the perpetrators tried to flee to Ukraine.
– We will identify everyone who is behind it, and they will be punished, Putin promised.
IS takes responsibility
In videos on social media, several shots can be heard from fully automatic weapons. There are also videos, which have not been verified, that show the perpetrators shooting a dozen people at close range.
On Friday evening at 22:20 Norwegian time, the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) claimed to be behind the terrorist attack in Moscow. They write that on their own Telegram account. The claim has not been confirmed by independent sources.
A third of the building where the events took place was fully engulfed in flames and black smoke rose from the roof.
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Russia: – The terrorists are not Russians
The people suspected of having committed the terrorist attack against a concert hall in Moscow were not Russian citizens, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Russian authorities announced earlier on Saturday that eleven suspects have been arrested, four of whom were allegedly directly involved in the attack.
At least 133 people were killed in the attack at the Crocus concert hall on the outskirts of the Russian capital on Friday evening, according to Russian authorities.
The extremist Islamist group IS’s Afghan wing ISKP claims to be behind the attack.
Opens terrorist investigation
Russian authorities say they are opening a terror investigation after the attack.
– The whole world must condemn this heinous crime, says spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, on Telegram.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemns the attack.
– The Secretary-General sends his condolences to the affected families, the Russian people and the Russian government. He wishes the wounded a speedy recovery, says Guterres’ spokesman Farhad Haq, according to NTB.
It is thus still unconfirmed who is behind the attack, which is said to be the worst of its kind in Russia in two decades, even though IS claims they are behind it.
Russians fighting for Ukraine in the border areas say they have nothing to do with the attack, and the US says there is no indication that Ukraine is involved. An adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyi also denies Ukrainian involvement.
Closes assembly points
The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, is canceling all sporting, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend. At the same time, there are reports of increased security at airports and train stations in Moscow.
– A terrible tragedy happened today. My condolences to the loved ones of the victims, writes Sobjanin on Telegram.
Flames and smoke
The images to the news agency Ria show flames and a sea of black smoke. Telegram channel Baza claimed on Friday evening that people were still trapped inside the building as a result of the flames. Other media reports, according to NTB, that around a hundred people were evacuated from the basement.
The concert hall where the shooting will start has room for over 6,000 people.
Two weeks ago, the American embassy in Moscow warned against high chances of a terrorist attack. Americans in Moscow have reportedly been urged to stay away from large gatherings.
Here are people running from the building in Moscow:
Barth Eide: – Dramatic
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information that Norwegian citizens have been affected by the Moscow attack
– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following the situation at Crocus City Hall and is in dialogue with the embassy in Moscow, writes press officer Siri R. Svendsen in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an e-mail to NTB.
– Our embassy in Moscow is working to obtain an overview of the situation, and whether Norwegian citizens are affected. We have so far received no information that could indicate the latter, she writes further.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to Russia, and writes in its travel advice has very limited opportunities to provide consular assistance to Norwegian citizens who are in the country.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) comments on the attack in Moscow on Friday evening and says there are dramatic images.
– There are dramatic images from Moscow. Every innocent human life lost is a tragedy, says Barth Eide to NTB.
He emphasizes that this is still an event in development.
– There is a lot we don’t know. We feel for those affected, says Eide.
The reactions are pouring in
The reactions after the attack flow into social media. Among other things, Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has condemned the attack.
– What a nightmare. Condolences to the families of the victims. Everyone involved in this criminal act must be held accountable, she writes on X.
Senior advisor in the Helsinki Committee, Ivar Dale, also shares his views on social media.
– After the Bataclan (terrorist attack on Paris in 2015, editor’s note) people waited to hear the French authorities tell what had happened. There was no reason to doubt the information given. Imagine being Russian tonight. Not even someone waiting to get information. One is left to guess and suspect, writes Dale.