The Argentine government has condemned a terror attack in a concert hall near Moscow in which 133 people were killed and 140 wounded, in one of the deadliest attacks on Russia in decades.

Islamic State, the militant group that once sought control over swathes of Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s Telegram channel said.

“The Argentine Republic expresses its strong condemnation of the terrorist attack perpetrated today at the Crocus City Hall concert hall, near the city of Moscow,” a brief communiqué by the Argentine foreign ministry read. 

The government also expressed its condolences and sympathy with the families of the victims and hopes for the speedy recovery of the wounded.

On Friday, at least five gunmen began shooting civilians cowering in the Crocus City Hall just before Soviet-era rock group Picnic was about to perform to a full house at the 6,200-seat theater in a suburb west of Moscow.

A verified video showed people taking their seats in the hall and then rushing for the exits as repeated gunfire echoed above screams. Another video showed men shooting at groups of people. Some victims lay motionless in pools of blood.

“Suddenly there were bangs behind us — shots. A burst of firing — I do not know what,” one witness, who asked not to be identified by name, told Reuters news agency.

“A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator,” the witness said. “Everyone was screaming; everyone was running.”

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said about 40 people were killed while a regional ministry, quoted by the Tass news agency, said 145 were wounded. The FSB said extra security measures were imposed.

The death toll made it one of the worst attacks on Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege, when Islamist militants took more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of children, hostage.

Children were reported to be among the dead and injured at the concert. Dozens of ambulances arrived at the Sklifosovsky emergency care institute in Moscow.

At Crocus City Hall, flames leapt into the sky, and plumes of black smoke rose above the venue as hundreds of blue lights from emergency vehicles flashed in the night, Reuters pictures and video showed.

Helicopters sought to douse flames that engulfed the large building, and evacuated around 100 people from the basement. The roof of the venue was collapsing, state news agency RIA said.

Russian media reported a second blast at the venue. Some outlets said gunmen barricaded themselves in the building. RIA said the gunmen were presumed to be at large.

In a post on Telegram, Islamic State said its fighters attacked on the outskirts of Moscow “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely.”

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was a “bloody terrorist attack” that the entire world should condemn.

Alongside Argentina, the United States, European and Arab powers and many former Soviet republics expressed shock, condemned the attack, and sent their condolences. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any Ukrainian involvement.

Herald / Reuters