Terror Attack on Moscow: ISIS claims responsibility

Moscow: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the massive attack on a concert hall in the Russian capital that left at least 40 people dead and over 100 wounded, CNN reported.

A group of armed men stormed into Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow and opened fire and detonated explosives among the crowd on Friday (local time).

The terror group took responsibility for the attack in a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram on Friday.

However, ISIS has not provided any evidence to support the claim. Video footage from the site of the attack, the Crocus City Hall concert venue on fire with smoke billowing into the air.

It showed crowds of people huddling together, screaming and ducking behind cushioned seats as gunshots started echoing in the vast hall. State-run RIA Novosti reported the armed individuals "opened fire with automatic weapons" and "threw a grenade or an incendiary bomb, which started a fire."

They then "allegedly fled in a white Renault car," the news agency said. The claim by the Islamic State was also confirmed by US officials shortly afterwards, the New York Times reported.

The US officials said they had privately apprised Russian officials about the intelligence pointing to an impending attack, the New York Times reported.