Moscow, Mar 25 (EFE).- Russia on Monday said no official hypotheses had been determined regarding the attack on a concert hall that killed 137 people and was promptly claimed by the global militant network, the Islamic State.
Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters during his daily tele-briefing on Monday that investigators had yet to finalize a definitive hypothesis.
When questioned by journalists about the absence of references to the Islamic State in official statements from President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials, Peskov said only preliminary data had been discussed and that official statements would await information from security agencies.
Peskov defended the Russian security services amid social media criticism, asserting their continuous efforts in confronting threats to the country and society.
He stressed the independence of Russian secret services and denied any contact with Western counterparts concerning the attack.
He emphasized that Russian secret services “operate independently” and denied any contact regarding the matter with their Western counterparts.
Highlighting the global challenge of terrorism, Peskov emphasized the necessity of full international cooperation, which he lamented was lacking in the current period of heightened confrontation.
During his address to the nation on Saturday, President Putin did not directly cite the Islamic State as a threat but suggested that terrorists were moving toward the border with Ukraine.
At least 137 people were killed and 152 were injured when gunmen opened fire on Friday night at the 6,200-seat Crocus City Hall in the city of Krasnogorsk as people gathered for a sold-out gig by popular Russian rock band Picnic.
The assailants then set fire to the venue during the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State terror group.
Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning and called for those responsible to be punished.
In the speech, Putin highlighted that 11 people were arrested in connection with the attack, including four assailants.
He said the perpetrators attempted to escape and were heading towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary information, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border.
Ukraine has strongly denied any involvement in the attack, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Putin “of trying to shift the blame to someone else.”
On Sunday, the Islamic State released a video purportedly showing graphic footage of its members, who were armed with automatic weapons and knives, carrying out the attack inside the concert hall.
The terror attack was the largest in Russia since the Beslan massacre 20 years ago. EFE
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