Death toll from concert hall attack near Moscow rises to 140

Russian officials on Wednesday, April 8, stated that the death toll from last week's attack on a concert hall in the outskirts of Moscow has risen to 140 after another victim died in the hospital. According to the Associated Press, Mikhail Murashko, the Russian Minister of Health, said that the deceased was one of five injured individuals who were in 'very critical condition' in the hospital, and doctors did 'everything they could' to save him and others. He added that a total of 80 people remain hospitalized due to injuries from the attack, while another 205 received immediate medical assistance for lighter injuries. An affiliate group of the Islamic State, ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the attack. U.S. intelligence agencies have also stated they have information confirming that ISIS was responsible for the attack. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, stated that Paris also has information pointing to 'a group (in) ISIS' as responsible for this attack. The Russian Federal Security Service announced that eleven individuals were arrested a day after the attack, including four armed men suspected of being involved. These four men are citizens of Tajikistan and appeared in a Moscow court on Sunday charged with terrorism. Signs of severe beating were observed on them, and it appeared that one of them was having difficulty staying conscious during the court session. According to a French news agency, an unnamed Turkish official confirmed that two Tajik nationals suspected of involvement in the Moscow concert attack 'were able to travel freely between Russia and Turkey' as they reportedly did not have arrest warrants. However, Russian officials insist that Ukraine and the West were involved in the attack, claims that Kyiv has strongly denied. According to the Associated Press, many in Russia are calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty for those responsible for the Moscow concert attack. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian social media accounts are filled with requests for the Russian government to restore the death penalty, which has been suspended since 1997. Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department official confirmed in an interview that the United States had gathered information indicating that ISIS was planning an 'imminent' attack in the Russian capital, leading to a warning issued earlier this month by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. This official stated that U.S. intelligence indicates that the deadly attack last Friday was the result of the same plot for which Washington had issued a warning. So far, the claim of responsibility for the Moscow attack has been made through ISIS media or other mainstream ISIS outlets. One statement indicated that the attack was carried out by an ISIS network within Russia. However, American and Western officials have repeatedly warned about the intent of 'ISIS Khorasan' to carry out attacks beyond Afghanistan's borders. Last May, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence told American lawmakers that 'ISIS Khorasan' is looking to 'carry out foreign attacks,' and other intelligence officials have warned that such attacks could occur within a year. U.S. officials also hold 'ISIS Khorasan' responsible for the deadly terrorist attack last winter in Kerman, Iran, which involved two bombings that killed around 100 people. France: The attack on the concert hall in Moscow was carried out by ISIS, not Ukraine. Senator Tim Kaine: Russia and the Islamic Republic would never inform us if they were aware of a terrorist attack against America. The U.S. ambassador in Baghdad: ISIS remains a threat in Iraq and is a 'common enemy.' The U.S. strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack in the outskirts of Moscow.