ISIS-K could target other capital cities after they killed 133 people at a rock concert in Moscow on Friday, an expert has warned.
Four gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall in an operation involving 11 men from Tajikistan.
Four of the men were captured and interrogated by Russian security services. They appeared in court with visible injuries on Monday as they were charged with committing an act of terrorism.
ISIS-K (Islamic State – Khorasan Province) is a regional branch of the Islamic State terrorist group active primarily in Afghanistan.
While the West has been one of ISIS’ main enemies in recent years, Russia’s military operations in Afghanistan and Syria in recent years has also made the country a target.
READ MORE: Russian spies furious with Putin over Moscow attack – ‘Didn’t keep us safe’
Now, experts have warned that ISIS-K could look to strike other capital cities with attacks similar to the one seen in Moscow last week.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, Murat Aslan, a military analyst and former Turkish army colonel, said: “I think their ideology inspires them in terms of selecting targets. First of all, Russia is in Syria and fighting against Daesh [ISIS] like the United States. That means they see such countries as hostile.
“They are now in Moscow. Previously they were in Iran, and we will see much more attacks, maybe in other capitals.”
Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center, added: “Russian foreign policy has been one big red flag for ISIS.
“The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Russian actions in Chechnya, Moscow’s close relationships with the Syrian and Iranian governments, and especially the military campaigns that Russia has waged against ISIS fighters in Syria and — through Wagner Group mercenaries – in parts of Africa.”
Amira Jadoon, co-author of ‘The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries’, said: “Russia’s engagement in the global fight against ISIS and its affiliates, especially through its military operations in Syria and its efforts to establish connections with the Afghan Taliban – ISIS-K’s rival – marks Russia as a key adversary for ISIS/ISIS-K.”
Al-Jazeera also reports that ISIS-K fighters have been “jubilant” on social media as they celebrate the attack.
Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told the outlet: “They are celebrating the attack.”
On Friday, Putin vowed revenge for ISIS-K’s attack. He added that anyone involved in the assault will be “justly and inevitably punished”.
The Russian president had also suggested Ukraine had helped the attackers, claiming they tried to run to Ukraine after the attack.
Kyiv has strongly denied this, with President Volodmyr Zelensky branding Putin a “lowlife b******” for his comments.
