Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers near Moscow on Friday, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145 in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants.
Moscow Concert Attack: ISIS Claims Responsibility
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condemned the “heinous terrorist attack” at a concert hall in Moscow, which claimed the lives of over 60 people and left over 100 others injured.
Russian Embassy in India said in a post on X, “As a sign of mourning and grief for the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow, the Russian Embassy in India flies the national flag at half-mast. We express our sincere condolences to the families of those deceased and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured.”
The terror group’s claim was reported by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram. Although they did not provide evidence to support their assertion. Video footage from the scene depicted the harrowing situation as attendees tried to seek safety amidst gunfire and explosions, with the concert hall eventually catching fire. According to state-run RIA Novosti, the armed individuals opened fire using automatic weapons and hurled either a grenade or an incendiary bomb, igniting a fire at the scene. Then, they purportedly escaped in a white Renault car.
US Issued Warning To Russian Officials
The claim of responsibility by ISIS for the attack near Moscow was also confirmed by US officials shortly afterwards, according to a report by the New York Times. US officials stated that they had privately shared intelligence with Russian officials regarding the threat of an impending attack, the report added. In March, the US gathered intelligence indicating that ISIS-K (Islamic State-Khorasan), the Afghanistan-based branch of ISIS, was planning an attack in Moscow. A US official mentioned that ISIS members have been active in Russia. US officials stated that besides publicly warning about a potential attack on March 7, they had also shared intelligence privately with Russian counterparts. However, the extent of the information shared beyond the public warning remains unclear.
What is ISIS-K and its origins?
Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) is an affiliate of the larger Islamic State militant group, emerging in eastern Afghanistan in 2014. Named after a historical region covering parts of today’s Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, ISIS-K gained infamy for its brutal tactics and extremist activities. Although its strength has waned since 2018 due to concerted efforts by the Taliban and US forces, the group remains a significant threat in the region. The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021 has reportedly reduced America’s capacity to combat and gather intelligence on such extremist factions.
The attack signifies a notable escalation in ISIS-K’s operations, underlining the group’s animosity towards Russia and President Vladimir Putin. One of the reasons ISIS-K may have targeted Russia is linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military interventions in the Middle East, particularly in Syria. Putin dispatched Russian troops to Syria to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, explicitly aiming to combat ISIS and other extremist groups.
Experts suggest that ISIS-K views Russia as an oppressor of Muslims, contributing to their antagonism. Furthermore, ISIS-K’s ranks include militants from Central Asia, who bear their own historical grievances against Russia, thus fueling the group’s motivation to carry out such attacks on Russian soil.
