Blasts at Ariana Grande concert eerily similar to attack at Paris' Bataclan

A possible terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in the United Kingdom Monday night that left 19 dead bore eerie similarities to an attack in Paris in November 2015 during a rock concert.

Eighty-nine people died when three gunmen opened fire during an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on November 13, 2015, creating a chaotic scene similar to the pictures coming out of Manchester, England, on Monday in which people scrambled for cover, screamed or ran for the doors.

The Bataclan 2015 incident was one of several that erupted almost simultaneously across Paris, leaving 130 dead and hundreds hurt. The Syria-based terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Though referring to U.S.-based terrorists, the Department of Homeland Security warned last September that terrorists are focused on concerts, sporting events and outdoor gatherings because such venues "Often pursue simple, achievable attacks with an emphasis on economic impact and mass casualties," according to a report obtained by The Washington Times.

Public discussion after the Paris blasts focused on the fact that Islamic State banned music when it set up headquarters in 2014 in Raqqa, Syria. The group has claimed that Islam forbids music, although Muslims are divided on this question. The group said it chose the concert by Eagles of Death Metal, a group based in California, because it was "Where hundreds of pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice."

Where the two concerts are concerned:

• Both involved American performers in Europe. Both concerts drew audiences made up largely of young people. 
• Authorities were treating the explosion or explosions at the Grande concert as an act of terrorism. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Bataclan incident that involved three gunmen wearing suicide belts storming through the main entrance and firing assault rifles into the crowd. The Manchester explosion or explosions took place just outside the venue, the Manchester Arena said via Twitter. 
• Both incidents took place at large venues. Both frequently host big names from the United States. The Manchester Arena holds 21,000 people, according to its website. The Bataclan theater holds 1,500 people and was sold out on the night of the attacks. 

Islamic extremists view the United States as a symbol of moral decadence and see France as an atheist power that supports Western ideals and suppresses Islamic ways of life, according to The Guardian.

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