India condemns heinous terror attack, stands with Russia in this hour of grief: PM Modi

Read below: Russian Embassy in New Delhi flies national flag half-mast after Moscow terror attack

NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed solidarity with the people of Russia and slammed the terrorist attack in the country that left more than 60 people dead and several others injured.

“We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2024

Terrorists attacked a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing more than 60 people, injuring over 100 and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack.

ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack which saw the gunmen storming the Crocus City Hall in Moscow at around 8 p.m. (local time) just as a concert of famous rock band Piknik was about to begin.

As per the latest information, the attackers, who had not attempted to take hostages or make any statements but shot people indiscriminately, have barricaded themselves inside the burning building.

The toll is expected to go up, the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) was quoted by the media as saying.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “The Russian Foreign Ministry is receiving phone calls with condolences from ordinary citizens from all around the globe following the horrible tragedy at the Krokus City Hall venue in Moscow. They are expressing the strongest condemnation of this bloody terrorist attack, transpiring right before the eyes of the entire world.”

Russian Embassy in New Delhi flies national flag half-mast after Moscow terror attack

As a sign of mourning and grief, the Russian Embassy in India is flying its national flag at half-mast in New Delhi after a dastardly terror attack in Moscow left more than 60 people dead and several others injured.

Terrorists, reportedly dressed in camouflage uniforms, stormed the Crocus City Hall in Moscow at around 8 p.m. on Friday, opening fire and setting off explosives.

“As a sign of mourning and grief for the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow, the Russian Embassy in India flies the national flag at half-mast. We express our sincere condolences to the families of those deceased and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the Russian Embassy said in a post on X on Saturday.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, adding that the attackers had “retreated to their bases safely”.

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said on X that they have been receiving phone calls with condolences from ordinary citizens from all around the globe.

“The international community is obliged to condemn this (bloody terrorist attack in Moscow) horrendous crime!” Russia’s MFA said.

The US also slammed the attack, describing it as a “terrible incident”. “The images are just horrible and just hard to watch,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.