Terrifying Warning from the Terrorist Attack in Russia
On March 24th, Russia hoisted flags at half-mast as a national day of mourning for the victims of the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall complex near Moscow. The attack, which occurred on March 22nd, claimed the lives of at least 133 people, including three children, and left over 150 injured in the city of Krasnogorsk. The horrifying incident prompted an outpouring of support, with long queues forming in Moscow as people waited to donate blood to help the injured.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish those responsible for the attack. Shortly after, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the act of terror. The group even released images and videos of the gunmen and their rampage through the venue via the Amaq media channel.
However, President Putin did not mention the terrorist group that once dominated large areas of Iraq and Syria in his televised address on March 23rd. Instead, he stated that 11 suspects had been detained, including four individuals who were apprehended while attempting to flee to the Bryansk region, around 340 kilometers southwest of Moscow, and cross the border into Ukraine.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) also confirmed that the group of gunmen had “connections to Ukraine,” as reported by RT.
In response, Ukraine continuously denied any involvement in the attack. In a recent video released on March 23rd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that President Putin is “trying to blame others.”
Russian authorities are currently investigating the details of the terrorist attack, including the motives behind it. In a video released by the Russian media, one suspect, speaking in broken Russian, revealed that he was promised money to “shoot people” for half a million rubles.
Another suspect had a Tajikistan interpreter assisting him. Russian officials have not disclosed the nationalities of the suspects, only confirming that none of them hold Russian citizenship.
Furthermore, the White House affirmed that the U.S. government had shared information about a planned attack in Moscow with Russia at the beginning of March, while publicly warning American citizens in Russia on March 7th.
Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, stressed that IS was the sole perpetrator of the terrorist attack on March 22nd, stating that “Ukraine is not involved.”
According to The Conversation, the modus operandi of the attack on March 22nd aligns with previous attacks carried out by IS. Reuters reports that it remains unclear why IS, specifically the Khorasan branch in Afghanistan, chose this timing to launch an attack in Russia. Nevertheless, ISIS-K has been responsible for numerous attacks across Europe in recent years, including in Russia.
The Conversation also reported that ISIS-K planned approximately 21 terrorist attacks in nine countries in 2023, a significant increase from the eight attacks the previous year. Notably, in January of this year, ISIS-K executed dual suicide bombings during a commemoration ceremony for the late General Qassem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran, resulting in the deaths of nearly 100 people.
In Russia, IS has been responsible for multiple attacks between 2016 and 2019, with several other plots uncovered from 2021 to 2023. In September 2022, ISIS-K bombed the Russian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least six people.
If indeed ISIS-K is behind the recent terrorist attack near Moscow, tensions are expected to escalate not only in Russia but throughout Europe as well. Should Russia identify the group as the perpetrator and plan retaliatory actions, the cycle of violence is likely to intensify.
This incident serves as a stark reminder that IS, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations are regaining strength. After lying relatively dormant in Western Asia, the Middle East, and Africa for around five years, these groups are now poised to wreak havoc in the West.
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