Russia says 40 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid, Islamic State group claims responsibility

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials say that at least 40 people have been killed and over 100 have been injured by assailants who have burst into a large concert hall and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. Friday’s attack came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated channels on social media, which couldn’t be independently verified. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to the attackers after the raid, which state authorities were investigating as terrorism. The attack was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country’s war in Ukraine dragged into a third year.