UPDATE - Russian media slam attack at concert hall as ‘massacre’ that was 'unprecedented'

UPDATES WITH REVIEWS FROM STATE NEWS AGENCIES, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A terror attack at the Crocus City concert hall in the Moscow region made the front pages of Russian newspapers on Saturday.

Assailants stormed the hall late Friday, opened fire, killing at least 115 people, injuring more than 145 others and setting fire to the venue.

Authorities said they arrested 11 people, including four perpetrators, with attack being condemned by a number of officials and governments worldwide.

The Kommersant newspaper said the well-organized “massacre was unprecedented in the history of Russia.”

“Even the terrorists who attacked the Moscow Dubrovka Theater in October 2002, where the musical Nord-Ost was being performed, not only shot at people, but also took hostages to make demands, and here they simply killed,” it said.

The daily, citing witnesses, said the faces of most of the attackers were covered with headscarves, but several people saw beards sticking out from under the disguise.

“The criminals acted in a coordinated, military manner, as if such actions were a common thing for them,” it noted.

It said that following the shooting, the perpetrators poured liquid on the curtains and chairs in the venue and set them on fire, adding: “When the fire broke out, rising to the very top and engulfing part of the roof, they left the scene of the massacre."

- Goal ‘to intimidate the population,’ show helplessness of authorities, special services

The Izvestia newspaper highlighted that the attackers were apparently well-acquainted with the concert premises. They confidently navigated the building and most likely studied the security system in advance for escape routes.

“The purpose of this terrorist attack is … to intimidate the population and demonstrate the alleged helplessness of the authorities and special services,” it said.

The newspaper talked to several military experts who said Ukraine is denying its involvement “too much,” which is a “sure sign” to the contrary.

They linked the event to the situation on the frontline, saying Ukrainian armed forces are trying “to demoralize” the Russian population and showing them the vulnerability of their situation.

Meanwhile, the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid rejected a version of the attack that involved the Daesh/ISIS terror group, insisting that the beards of the perpetrators were "a masquerade."

- US 'terrorist attack alerts' on March 8 urging people not to go to concerts

Several media outlets also noted a US Embassy terror attack alert issued on March 8, which emphasized the need to avoid concerts.

In response to a query by Russian state news agency RIA, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the US government had received information about a potential terrorist attack in Moscow, and the State Department issued a public warning based on the intelligence and notified the Russian authorities.

Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has urged Washington to provide with all available information that would allow to clarify the situation.

State news agency TASS, meanwhile, cited a security official who confirmed that the information was shared via channels of special forces.