The Islamic State (ISIS) said on Friday four of its members had been arrested after they attacked a concert hall near Moscow, killing 143 people.
Gunmen opened fire on March 22 at the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, setting the hall on fire and wounding 80 people.
Moscow has arrested 12 people and charged eight with “terror-related offenses” for their alleged roles in the attack. Among the detained are four people from Tajikistan who are accused of conducting the attack, according to Russian state media.
ISIS promptly claimed the attack, although Moscow has repeatedly claimed the attackers had connections with “Ukrainian nationalists,” which Kyiv has rejected.
The militant group said in its weekly al-Nabaa magazine issued on Friday on Telegram channels that its fighters had been pursued by ground and air forces.
The operation came to an end when the men were surrounded in “a forest,” ISIS said, noting they were now in captivity.
A court in Moscow has remanded the four primary suspects in custody until May 22, a date that will likely be extended.
Russia has been a repeated target of attack from ISIS, in retaliation for its suppression of unrest in Muslim-majority areas and for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
