Islamic State warns Russia and Putin in chilling new threat after Moscow attack
2:11 PM EDT, March 26, 2024
Threats directed at the "brutal Russians" and Vladimir Putin have surfaced on channels linked to the Islamic State's Khorasan Province, warning them to "beware."
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A terrorist attack shattered the peace at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, on Friday. The attackers unleashed gunfire on the unsuspecting crowd before setting the venue ablaze, resulting in at least 137 deaths and over 180 injuries.
The responsibility for this heinous act was claimed by the Islamic State's Khorasan Province. Russian authorities apprehended four terrorists, all citizens of Tajikistan. Subsequently, videos emerged online showing Russian forces subjecting the detainees to harsh treatment, including a disturbing scene where an ear of one detainee was severed with a knife.
Through its media wing Al-Azaim, the Islamic State's Khorasan Province issued a chilling warning to the "brutal Russians" for their treatment of prisoners.
"To all the brutal Russians, including Putin, stop the mistreatment and torture of Islamic State prisoners," demanded the statement, accompanied by a graphic of a masked individual wielding a knife.
"Beware. Underestimate us not, for we have already demonstrated our capability to avenge our imprisoned brothers with Friday’s attack. Your atrocities will not go unpunished," the group declared.
The statement highlighted that the circulation of torture videos has inflamed a thirst for vengeance "among thousands of brothers," threatening, "This time, we will deliver strikes that your future generations will never forget."
"A massacre of you, your children, and your women is imminent," the statement coldly warned.
Russia's confrontation with jihadists
Since its establishment in 2015, the Islamic State's Khorasan Province primarily operated in Afghanistan before expanding its reach. The group's affiliates have been detained across Europe and other regions.
For years, Russia has been in the crosshairs of the Islamic State, partly in retaliation for Moscow's involvement in Syria, where it backs the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Russian mercenaries are also engaged in combating Islamic State militants in Africa, including Mali. Over the years, Russia has successfully dismantled ISIS cells responsible for attacks, such as those on military bases in Dagestan.
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