ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly condemned Friday’s concert hall attack in the Russian capital Moscow.
“I strongly condemn the heinous attack in Moscow last night that has resulted in the loss of many precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to families of the victims,” he said on X.
I strongly condemn the heinous attack in Moscow last night that has resulted in the loss of many precious lives. My heartfelt condolences to families of the victims. 🇵🇰 stands with Russia 🇷🇺 at this difficult time.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 23, 2024
The premier said his country stands with Russia at this difficult time.
Gunmen opened fire at concertgoers late Friday, killing over 140 people and injuring dozens of others. The attack took place as the rock band Picnic was about to perform at the Crocus City Hall just west of Moscow.
Militant group Da’ish claimed responsibility for the attack but there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite emphatic denials from Ukrainian officials that Kyiv had anything to do with it.
The FSB security service said “all four terrorists” had been arrested while heading to the Ukrainian border, and that they had contacts in Ukraine. It said they were being transferred to Moscow.
“Now we know in which country these bloody bastards planned to hide from pursuit – Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
A senior Russian lawmaker, Andrei Kartapolov, said that if Ukraine was involved, then Russia must deliver a “worthy, clear and concrete” reply on the battlefield.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov told Reuters: “Ukraine was of course not involved in this terror attack. Ukraine is defending its sovereignty from Russian invaders, liberating its own territory and is fighting with the occupiers’ army and military targets, not civilians.”
He said the FSB version that the suspects were arrested en route to Ukraine was “of course another lie from the Russian special services”.
The United States, European and Arab powers and many former Soviet republics expressed shock and sent their condolences. The United Nations Security Council condemned what it called a “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack”.
Russia tightened security at airports, transport hubs and across the capital – a vast urban area of over 21 million people – and big public events were cancelled across the country.
