Moscow [Russia], April 2: Russia's FSB security agency said that four people arrested on March 31 provided money and weapons for the deadly attack near Moscow on the evening of March 22.
In a statement today, April 1, the FSB said that they arrested a group of four people on March 31 in the southern Dagestan region of Russia , on charges of being "directly involved in the financing and provision of terrorist facilities." announced to the perpetrators of the attack on the evening of March 22," according to AFP.
Gunmen opened fire on concert attendees at Crocus City Hall near Moscow on the evening of March 22, killing at least 144 people and injuring more than 500 people, according to RT. This is the deadliest attack in Russia in the past 20 years.
The FSB said on April 1 that four foreign citizens were arrested in the operation in the Dagestan regional capital Makhachkala and the nearby town of Kaspiysk. Interfax news agency cited an FSB video showing one of the detained men saying: "I took weapons for them, those who attacked Crocus City Hall."
Russian authorities previously announced the arrest of 12 suspects in the terrorist attack on the evening of March 22, including 4 gunmen identified as Tajik citizens.
On March 26, FSB Director Aleksandr Bortnikov said that the US, UK and Ukraine could be behind the terrorist attack on the evening of March 22, according to RT.
On April 1, Russia's Investigative Committee (IC) announced that it had opened an investigation into allegations that Ukraine and Western countries supporting Ukraine were involved in terrorist activities on Russian soil.
The above allegation was supported by a number of Russian parliamentarians last week, according to RT Radio. In particular, congressman Nikolay Kharitonov, from the Russian Communist Party, said that Western countries "benefited" from the terrorist attack on the evening of March 22.
The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) announced that its gunmen carried out the above attack, "killing hundreds of people, causing great destruction to this place before as they retreated to the safety of their base", but did not provide further details.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson confirmed on March 23 that IS was solely responsible for the deadly attack near Moscow on the evening of March 22 and had no participation from Ukraine, according to Reuters. Ukraine has also denied involvement.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper