The Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) the group that claimed responsibility for an attack on a concert hall in the Moscow region, is one of 31 militant groups affiliated with the Islamic State.
A US official said on Friday that Washington had no cause to doubt ISIS’ claim that it was responsible for the attack in which at least 133 people were killed.
ISIS-K arose in late 2014 in eastern Afghanistan. It currently has an estimated 2,000 fighters. Its name comes from an old name for the region. The group has the same ideology and techniques as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The group claimed responsibility in January for an attack against a ceremony on the anniversary of the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani in the city of Kerman in Iran. The twin bomb attack killed more than 90 people.
But why is ISIS-K targeting Russia?
Colin P. Clarke, a political analyst at the New York-based Soufan Group, told Reuters ISIS-K has intensified its activity in Russia over the past two years because of its opposition to Moscow’s interference in Syria, Afghanistan, and Chechnya.
He says one of the primary reasons behind the Moscow attack was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interference in Middle Eastern affairs, in particular in Syria.
The analyst said those who join the ranks of ISIS-K are mostly Central Asians who believe Russia has oppressed them, motivating them to carry out armed activities in Russian territory.
Clarke told the New York Times that ISIS-K has often criticized Putin in their propaganda.
Russia said it has arrested four people at the Ukraine border region in direct connection with the Moscow attack and 11 others it believes were involved in it.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said the suspects were foreign citizens, including men from Tajikistan.
