Why did ISIS-K rebels rush to claim responsibility for the terrorist attack in Moscow?
FOA News – ISIS-K rebels have claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on the Crocus shopping center, but Russian security agencies have not yet confirmed it.
Russian security forces outside the Crocus shopping center after the attack took place. (Photo: Sputnik)
Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed US official as saying. Washington has intelligence that IS rebels were behind the terrorist attack on the Crocus shopping center on the outskirts of Moscow on the evening of March 22.
The source added that the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Khorasan (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan is the culprit behind the attack, and they are known for brutal terrorist attacks in many Central Asian countries. such as Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.
Appearing since 2014, ISIS-K operates mainly in eastern Afghanistan. ISIS-K thrived during the period when IS rebels expanded their power throughout the Middle East. Although the number of ISIS-K members has decreased significantly since 2018 due to continuous raids by the US and the Taliban, this is still the most active IS branch in the region.
The attack on the Crocus shopping center in Moscow is an unprecedented action by ISIS-K in particular and IS rebels in general. Even when this terrorist organization was at its strongest.
According to some experts, the attack in Crocus demonstrates ISIS-K’s opposition to Kremlin policies in recent years. This includes Moscow’s anti-terrorism campaign in Syria.
Mr. Colin Clarke, security expert at Soufan Group Center, a non-profit security analysis organization based in the US, commented. ISIS-K has sought to expand its sphere of influence in Russia over the past two years and often makes statements critical of the Kremlin in its propaganda activities.
According to Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilson Center, ISIS-K “sees Russia as complicit in the repression of Muslims”. He added that ISIS-K is just one of many terrorist organizations in Central Asia with anti-Russian tendencies.
The move of IS to immediately admit its role in the terrorist attack in Moscow was considered surprising by many experts, in addition to the fact that the US affirmed that there was no reason to doubt this organization’s statements.
The analysis of the reasons for this attack has not been able to completely explain the motives of Middle Eastern terrorism in Russia. Recently, IS’s changes in the region are mainly related to military activities of the US and the West.
According to Reuters sources, ISIS-K’s resources have weakened significantly since the US withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2021. However, this group has still carried out terrorist attacks in and out of Afghanistan recently.
In September 2022, ISIS-K rebels claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at the Russian Embassy in Kabul.
The group was responsible for an attack on Kabul International Airport in 2021 that killed 13 US soldiers and scores of civilians during the chaotic evacuation of US troops from Afghanistan.
In early March, the US Military Command in the Middle East said ISIS-K could attack US and Western interests outside Afghanistan within the next six months, but did not release specific information.
By mid-March, the US Embassy in Russia issued a warning. Citizens of this country should stay away from crowded places in the Moscow area, because they have information that there will be a major attack on the Russian capital.
A statement from the US Embassy in Moscow said there were “reports that extremists are planning to target large gatherings in Moscow”, including concerts. The Embassy warns US citizens to avoid large gatherings.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow. Capable of targeting large gatherings, including concerts. This is what prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue the recommendation.
“The US government has also shared this information with Russia in accordance with its long-standing ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Ms. Watson said.
According to RIA Novosti, in March alone, Russian authorities prevented a number of incidents related to IS. On March 3, RIA reported that six ISIS members were killed in an anti-terror operation in Ingush Karabulak.
On March 7, Russian security agencies discovered and “neutralized” a group of the banned Vilayat Khorasan organization in the Kaluga region. Members of this organization are planning to attack a synagogue in Moscow. And on March 20, it was reported that the commander of an IS rebel group was captured.
A US official said on March 23 that Washington had no reason to doubt IS’s claim that the organization was responsible for the attack on the complex near Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called this a “bloody terrorist attack”.
The Russian Federal Investigation Committee announced the opening of a criminal case related to the attack, saying it was still too early to talk about the identity of the terrorists.
Source: Indiatimes
