The United States has announced that it has intelligence confirming that the militant organization "Islamic State" is behind the deadly attack in Moscow, a US official told Reuters, reports Radio Free Europe (RSE).
At least 22 people were killed in the attack on March 133.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group - ISIS-K, in a post on its social networks.
Warning: Disturbing video
Here is information about the Afghan branch of the so-called Islamic State known as ISIS-K and possible motives for the attack on Russia.
ISIS-K or "Islamic State of Khorasan" (Khorasan) was founded in eastern Afghanistan in 2015 as an offshoot of the group that seized large parts of Syria and Iraq to establish a so-called "caliphate".
Who is ISIS-K?
The "Islamic State of Khorasan" (ISIS-K), named after the old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly gained a reputation for extreme brutality.
One of the most active regional affiliates of the Islamic State militant group, ISIS-K, has seen its membership decline since its peak around 2018. The Taliban and US forces have inflicted heavy losses on the group.
The US has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan, such as ISIS-K, has been reduced since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in 2021.
By the way, the Afghan branch of ISIL is a sworn enemy of the Taliban and the two groups have clashed several times, the British newspaper The Times points out, stating that its fighters initially mostly came from the ranks of the Pakistani Taliban, although the Afghan Taliban were also recruited. .
ISIS-K believes the Taliban's version of Islamic rule is too soft, according to the Times.
Unlike the Afghan Taliban, whose focus is on Afghanistan, ISIS-K has repeatedly shown a desire to attack the United Nations and Western powers.
Although both the Taliban and ISIS-K are militant Sunni Islamists, there are differences in religion and strategy, with both groups claiming that only they are truly jihadists.
What attacks are they responsible for?
ISIS-K has a history of attacks, including on mosques, inside and outside Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, the US intercepted communications confirming that the group carried out two bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people.
In September 2022, ISIS-K militants claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide attack on the Russian embassy in Kabul.
The group is responsible for an attack on Kabul International Airport in 2021 that killed 13 US soldiers and a large number of civilians during the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from the country.
Earlier this month, the top US general in the Middle East said ISIS-K could attack US and Western interests outside Afghanistan "in as little as six months and with little or no warning".
In addition to minorities, the group attacked Afghan security forces and NATO forces, as well as international agencies, including aid organizations.
ISIS-K has been blamed for some of the worst crimes in recent years, and has attacked girls' schools, hospitals and even a maternity hospital, where pregnant women and nurses were killed.
Why are they targeting Russia?
While Friday's ISIS attack in Russia represents a dramatic escalation, experts say the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years.
"ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years, often criticizing Putin in its propaganda," said Colin Clark of the Sufan Center, a Washington-based think tank.
Along with militants from Central Asia, the group often complains about Moscow's moves, said Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington. It states that ISIS-K "sees Russia as complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims."
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