'Islamic Group Accused of Moscow Terror... "Putin's Muslim Oppression Sparks Discontent"'

ISIS-K Likely Behind Terror Attack
Experts Say “IS Has Harbored Grievances Against Putin for Years”

Suspects involved in indiscriminate shooting and arson attacks at a concert hall in Moscow, Russia, have been arrested. It is suspected that the Islamic extremist organization Islamic State (IS) branch in Afghanistan, Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), is behind the attacks.

Russian local media such as TASS and Sputnik reported on the 23rd (local time) that Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), detained 11 people, including four suspects directly involved in the terror attack. He reported this to President Vladimir Putin. The FSB is reportedly investigating accomplices and the masterminds behind the attackers.

Flowers commemorating the victims were placed on the 23rd in front of the Crocus City Hall concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, where a gun terror attack and a large fire occurred. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The day before, an indiscriminate shooting attack was carried out by armed assailants at the Crocus City Hall concert venue located in northwest Moscow. Shortly after the shooting, a large fire, presumed to be arson, broke out. On the same day, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that the death toll from the attack had reached at least 93. According to Russian health authorities, more than 146 people were injured.

Immediately after the attack, ISIS-K claimed responsibility, stating, “IS fighters attacked the outskirts of Moscow, killing and injuring hundreds.” The U.S. government also stated that it has information indicating IS was behind the attack.

ISIS-K is the most active regional faction of IS, having started operations in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014. Khorasan is an ancient name referring to parts of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. The group gained notoriety for extreme brutality and rapidly expanded its influence in Syria and Iraq. However, its membership peaked in 2018 and has since declined, currently lacking a substantial power base.

Foreign media reported, “While ISIS-K’s terror attack in Russia may seem sudden, the group has been harboring grievances against President Putin for several years.”

On the 22nd (local time), the scene of the Crocus City Hall concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, burned in a terrorist attack [Image source=Yonhap News]

BBC UK cited Michael Kugelman of the U.S. anti-terrorism research institute Wilson Center, explaining, “ISIS-K is dissatisfied with Russia’s oppression of Muslims,” and that ISIS-K views Russia as regularly engaging in Muslim suppression activities.

Colin Clarke from the Soufan Center also told the New York Times (NYT), “ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years,” adding, “They have criticized the Kremlin for getting its hands stained with Muslim blood by referencing Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria.”

There have been previous cases of Muslim groups attacking Russia. When a Russian aircraft crashed over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in 2015, IS claimed responsibility and later released photos of the explosive device. All 224 passengers, mostly Russians, died in the attack. The 2017 bombing in the Saint Petersburg metro, which killed 15 people, was also linked to radical Islamists.