Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke by phone this Saturday and agreed to strengthen their contacts “as part of the fight against terrorism,” the Kremlin said.
“It was agreed to intensify contacts in the fight against terrorism and in all other areas of bilateral cooperation,” the Russian president said in a statement, as quoted by the Efe news agency.
Both leaders touched upon the current situation in the Middle East and Syria, “which directly faces the terrorist threat.”
During the conversation, Assad strongly condemned Friday’s attack on the outskirts of Moscow, which killed more than 130 people and was claimed by the Islamic State.
Bashar al-Assad added that the Syrian people share the pain of the Russian people, and expressed words of support to the families of the victims, and also wished a speedy recovery to the wounded, the number of which is 140, of which 105 are hospitalized. to various hospitals in the capital and Moscow region.
The attack, which Russian media began reporting around 20:15 in Moscow (17:15 in Lisbon), was carried out by several armed individuals at the Crocus City Hall concert hall located in Krasnogorsk, on the outskirts of Krasnogorsk. capital of Russia, AFP reports.
The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack on civilians on Friday evening.
Russian President Vladimir Putin this Saturday condemned what he called a “barbaric and bloody” terrorist attack, called for revenge and, although he did not speculate on the intellectual authors of the attack, suggested that the four detainees were trying to cross the border. border with Ukraine, which the Russian leader said was trying to create a “window” to help them escape.
Ukrainian authorities have denied any involvement in the attack, and a U.S. intelligence source told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies have confirmed the group was responsible.
The attack, Russia’s deadliest in years, came just days after Putin consolidated his power with an election victory that drew criticism from several Western countries and as the war in Ukraine drags on into its third year.