Islamic State linked to deadly Moscow attack, experts suggest
Two of the four terrorists detained in Krasnogorsk were dressed similarly to figures in a photo published on Telegram by the Islamic State, as reported on Saturday by the British newspaper "The Guardian," citing analyses by the Insider website.
Mar 23, 2024 | updated: 3:57 AM EDT, March 24, 2024
In the first photo released by the online news agency Amaq, four men are seen in a characteristic pose with their index fingers raised against the Islamic State's black flag backdrop. It was the Amaq agency that reported the organization's admission to the attack near Moscow on Friday, resulting in at least 133 deaths.
Insider notes that for two suspects, "the color, cut, and print of their clothes match those of the individuals detained in association with the terrorism accusations."
According to the website, a segment of an interrogation with one of the detainees was broadcast on the TV program of Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonjan. His "clothing corresponds to that of one of the fighters from the photo released by the Amaq agency," the website reported.
- "The Islamic State's involvement in the attack seems very likely," stated Czech security expert Adam Dolnik to the Reuters agency. However, he highlighted an unusual element - the suspects' escape, given that most Islamic State attacks are intended to be suicidal.
Colin Clarke from the Soufan Center, a New York-based institute focusing on extremist movements, mentioned that the Islamic State Khorasan Province has targeted Russia in the last two years. Meanwhile, Michael Kugelman from the Washington D.C.-based Wilson Center pointed out that the organization "views Russia as complicit in the persecution of Muslims."
German security expert Peter Neumann is convinced of the Islamist group's responsibility. The method of claiming responsibility, the attack approach, the supposed involvement of Muslims from Tajikistan, and American alerts of an impending extremist attack in Russia all indicate that "it was not Putin, it was not Ukraine. It was the Islamic State," Neumann proclaimed on the X platform.
- "Russia presents an easy mark due to its organizational disarray. But I believe ISIS could pose a threat to European countries this year too," commented terrorism analyst Dr. Bartosz Bojarczyk in a discussion with WP.
