2024-03-23 03:12:35
The attack by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) on Friday, March 22 in Moscow, which left more than 60 dead and hundreds injured, occurred after a series of threats and represents, for some analysts, a retaliation by the jihadist organization given Russia’s participation in the conflicts in Syria and the African Sahel. What is the Islamic State and what reasons could it have for attacking Russia?
First modification: 03/23/2024 – 04:12 Last modification: 03/23/2024 – 04:15
4 min
This Friday, March 22, a shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert center near Moscow left dozens dead and hundreds injured, according to the Russian Investigative Committee.
“Islamic State fighters attacked a large Christian gathering in the city of Krasnogorsk, on the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow, killing and wounding hundreds of people and causing widespread destruction there before retreating to their bases. safely,” said the jihadist group itself through its Telegram channel.
The attack is the first serious terrorist attack in this country since the start of the war in Ukraine more than two years ago and the largest perpetrated in the Russian capital in more than a decade.
The United States and its intelligence services confirmed that the Islamic State was the author of the deadly shooting attack.
What is the Islamic State and what motives could it have for attacking Russia?
What is the Islamic State?
The Khorasan Islamic State (ISIS-K or IS), named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly earned a reputation for extreme brutality. .
The Islamic State has seen its membership decline since peaking around 2018. The Taliban and US forces inflicted heavy losses on it.
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However, the United States has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan, such as the Islamic State, has been reduced since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in 2021.
What attacks has the group carried out?
The Islamic State has a history of attacks, including against mosques, inside and outside Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, the United States intercepted communications confirming that the group carried out two bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people.
In September 2022, Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for a deadly 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 dozens of civilians during the chaotic US evacuation of the country.
Earlier this month, the top U.S. general in the Middle East said the Islamic State could attack U.S. and Western interests outside Afghanistan “in as little as six months and with little or no warning.”
Why would they attack Russia?
While the IS attack in Russia on Friday was an escalation of violence, Experts said the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years.
“The Islamic State has been obsessed with Russia for the past two years, frequently criticizing Putin in its propaganda,” says Colin Clarke of the Soufan Center, a Washington-based research group.
Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilson Center said the group “sees Russia as complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims.”
Emergency vehicles parked in front of the Crocus City Hall, a concert hall in Moscow targeted by an attack on March 22, 2024. © Stringer AFP
He added that the group also counts among its members several Central Asian militants who have their own demands against Moscow.
The Syrian conflict and tensions in the Sahel
In September 2015, at the request of President Bashar al-Assad, Russia began supporting the Syrian government against opposition rebels and jihadist groups, including IS.
Russian intervention was key to quelling the rebellion and defeating IS, which had annexed territories in Syria to its ‘caliphate’ in Iraq.
Jihadists from Russian republics in the Caucasus joined IS in Syria to fight their own country’s forces and some returned to Russia after the conflict, posing a threat to Moscow.
On the other hand, instability in the Sahel has led to pro-Russian coups d’état in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, with the participation of mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner in the anti-terrorist fight in those countries, where there is a large presence of the Islamic State. and also from groups loyal to Al Qaeda.
Previous threats
On March 8, several Western embassies, including the United States, warned their nationals in Russia about the possibility of imminent attacks in the country, especially at large events in Moscow.
“The embassy is aware of reports suggesting that extremists are planning attacks on mass gatherings in Moscow, including concerts,” said a statement from the US embassy.
On March 7, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it had neutralized an Islamic State cell in Kaluga province that intended to attack a synagogue in Moscow.
“The terrorists showed armed resistance during their arrest and were neutralized by defensive fire,” the TASS agency reported.
On March 3, Russian security forces eliminated six suspected jihadists in an operation in Ingushetia, in the North Caucasus. The National Anti-Terrorist Committee reported that the deceased were members of ISIS.
With Reuters and EFE
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