RIGHT NOW: Hunt for men in white Renault after the massacre

 

Moscow

Hunt for white car after the crime in Moscow

Emil Forsberg

Published 00.06

The hunt for the perpetrators is ongoing after the concert attack in Moscow.

A white Renault is singled out as highly interesting in the search.

At the same time, questions are being raised as to whether IS really carried out the brutal act.

Hours after the attack on the rock concert in Moscow in which at least 62 people were killed, no one has yet been arrested.

The perpetrators are believed to have fled in a white Renault which was caught on a surveillance camera. The security forces are now looking for two cars that are said to have been used in the escape.

The car is said to have been bought and repainted shortly before the crime after previously being used at a driving school in Saint Petersburg.

 

The car before and after.
The perpetrators are believed to have fled in a white Renault.
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In a video from when the attack started, several armed men can be seen getting out of a similar car and starting shooting at the entrance to the concert hall.

More than 100 people were injured in the act when the camouflaged perpetrators entered the premises and opened fire. The large fire in the building is believed to have been caused by containers of gasoline that the shooters had in their backpacks.

The terrorist sect IS has taken responsibility for the crime and stated that the shooters were able to "safely" escape from the area.

At the same time, information is being spread in the Russian media that the IS claim may be false.

The statement made on Telegram used an outdated template that IS no longer uses, allegedly indicating that IS was not involved.

"Fixed with Russia"

However, the US claims that IS was likely behind the attack and refers to statements that "Moscow has blood on its hands" after its actions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.

- IS Khorasan has been fixated on Russia for the past two years and has frequently criticized Vladimir Putin in its propaganda, says counterterrorism analyst Colin P Clarke to the New York Times.

The Russian National Guard secures an area near the kopnsert house. Photo: Alexander Avilov / AP

As early as November, there was "fairly specific" intelligence that IS wanted to carry out attacks in Russia, sources told CNN's security correspondent Alex Marquardt.

Ukraine points out Russia

At the same time, Ukraine accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of having himself ordered the attack on the concert.

The goal should be to escalate the war further and speed up the mobilization of new soldiers.

Russia has countered with accusing Ukraine of being behind the attack, something that is dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's advisers.

- Let me be clear. Ukraine has absolutely nothing to do with what has occurred, says Mychajlo Podoljak in a statement.

Massive traffic on the highway near the concert hall. Photo: Vitaly Smolnikov / AP