Four new defendants charged in Crocus City Hall terrorist attack case

Four additional defendants have emerged in the ongoing investigation into the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, which resulted in the deaths of 145 individuals.

These new suspects, all from Ingushetia, are linked to the incident that occurred on the evening of March 22 at a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Of the four, two have been arrested, while the other two are currently on the federal wanted list. Investigators believe the defendants were involved in modifying hollow-point Kalashnikov rifles into combat-ready weapons, which were then supplied to the terrorists responsible for the attack. The assault injured an additional 551 people.

The primary perpetrators identified in the attack include Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov. The Russian Investigative Committee asserts that the attackers, while on their way to the Belgorod region, intended to cross into Ukraine, where they anticipated support from local special services.

As the investigation progressed, several accomplices were detained, including four individuals residing in Dagestan. The FSB suspects that these individuals were affiliated with the banned terrorist organization Vilayat Khorasan.

Crocus City Hall, on the outskirts of Moscow - 20km (12 miles) from the Kremlin - was about to host a concert by the rock group Picnic when gunmen burst into the foyer just after 20:00 (17:00 GMT).

Video showed at least four people shooting randomly before proceeding into the concert hall itself and opening fire there.

Helicopters were brought in to drop about 160 tonnes of water, but it took some 10 hours for the fire to be contained.

By the time the suspects escaped - according to some accounts, the attack lasted about 20 minutes - hundreds had been killed and injured.

Many died from bullet wounds, some as a result of smoke inhalation.

Picnic's band members themselves were unharmed.

More than 6,000 Russians had flocked to the retail and concert complex for the event.

At least 145 have been confirmed dead - six of them children.

By Vafa Guliyeva