Moscow, 23 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) has published pixelated photos of the alleged gunmen who carried out Friday's attack near Moscow that left at least 133 people dead.

The IS propaganda channel Amaq published a photo on Saturday showing four people whose faces had been made unrecognisable.

Armed with assault rifles, pistols and bombs, the fighters had dealt Russia a "heavy blow" in targeting "thousands of Christians in a music hall," an IS statement said.  

Unidentified perpetrators opened indiscriminate fire on concertgoers at the concert venue of the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of the Russian capital.

Authorities later arrested 11 suspects, at least four of whom are said to have been directly involved in the attack.

Russian propagandists were quick to claim that Ukraine was behind the bloodshed, while failing to provide any proof of this.

More than two years into its defence against a full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine has emphatically denied any involvement in the attack.

Photo: AMAQ Agency