(MENAFN) Nineteen people went on trial in Moscow on Monday over a March 22 attack on Crocus City Hall that killed 149 people and injured hundreds, one of the deadliest strikes in Russia in recent years. Armed men stormed the concert venue on the city’s outskirts, opening fire before setting the building on fire. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The trial includes four alleged attackers from Tajikistan, along with 15 others accused of being accomplices. Some defendants were seen in the courtroom in glass cages with their hands cuffed, while about 30 survivors attended the proceedings. Further hearings are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

Nearly half of the victims died from smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation rather than gunfire, according to state media citing court documents. The attack, which occurred during Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, prompted a wave of xenophobia against Central Asian migrants. While IS claimed responsibility, Russia also accused Ukraine of involvement—a claim Kyiv dismissed as baseless.

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