The Islamic State Attack on Russia: Reasons for Intervention in Syria and Participation in the Sahel

2024-03-23 04:01:00
Intervention in Syria and participation in the Sahel: the reasons that motivated the Islamic State attack against Russia. (AP)

The attack carried out by the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) this Friday in Moscow, which left dozens dead, occurs after a series of threats and represents retaliation by the jihadist organization for Russia’s participation in the conflicts in Syria and of the African Sahel.

“Islamic State fighters attacked a large group of Christians 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,” the group communicated 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.

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.

It is the first serious terrorist attack that has occurred in this country since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago and the largest perpetrated in the Russian capital in more than a decade. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

“The embassy is aware of reports suggesting that extremists are planning attacks against 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 IS 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.

On March 8, various Western embassies, including the United States, warned their nationals in Russia about the possibility of imminent attacks in the country.

The IS branch in Russia, known as ‘Wilayat al Quqaz’ (Caucasus Province), was founded by extremist Rustam Asildarov in 2015 but allegedly ceased its activity after his assassination by the Russian Government in Dagestan in December 2016.

This Friday’s attack in Moscow is preceded by another action against Russian interests. On September 5, 2023, IS claimed responsibility for an attack near the Russian embassy in Kabul, where the second secretary and a security guard died.

And Russia, along with a few nations such as Pakistan and Iran, maintained its embassy in Kabul after the return to power on August 15, 2021 of the Taliban, who, despite their fundamentalism, are rivals of IS.

In September 2015, at the request of 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 in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, with the participation of Wagner mercenaries in the anti-terrorist fight in those countries, where there is a large presence of the Islamic State and also of groups loyal to Al Qaeda.

Dozens dead after a terrorist attack by the Islamic State group in Moscow.

Some regions of Mali, for example, have become a battleground between IS and government forces, supported by Wagner, sometimes causing massacres among civilian ranks.

In this country, the Islamic State carries out constant assassinations and is currently in control of Menaka, a region located in the east, next to the border with Niger.

After taking over the province and besieging its capital, IS is now focusing there on patrolling its villages and organizing religious rallies to impose its ideology, in an area where some claim it wants to found its next ‘caliphate’.

(EFE)

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