Explainer-Why did ISIS-K attack a Moscow theater?

[Pelican Press 0]

Explainer-Why did ISIS-K ******* a Moscow theater?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. has intelligence confirming Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for a deadly ********* ******* at a concert near Moscow on Friday, a U.S. official told Reuters.

Here is information about the Islamic State’s Afghan branch known as ISIS-K and their motives for attacking Russia:

WHAT IS ISIS-K?

Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly established a reputation for extreme brutality.

One of the most active regional affiliates of the Islamic State militant group, ISIS-K has seen its membership decline since peaking around 2018. The Taliban and U.S. forces inflicted heavy losses.

The ******* States has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups in Afghanistan such as ISIS-K has been reduced since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in 2021.

WHAT ATTACKS HAS THE GROUP CARRIED OUT?

ISIS-K has a history of attacks, including against mosques, inside and outside Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, the U.S. intercepted communications confirming the group carried out twin bombings in Iran that ******* nearly 100 people.

In September 2022, ISIS-K militants claimed responsibility for a deadly ******** ******** at the Russian embassy in Kabul.

The group was responsible for an ******* on Kabul’s international airport in 2021 that ******* 13 U.S. troops and scores of civilians during the chaotic U.S. evacuation from the country.

Earlier this month, the top U.S. general in the Middle East said ISIS-K could ******* U.S. and Western interests outside of Afghanistan “in as little as six months and with little to no warning.”

WHY WOULD THEY ******* RUSSIA?

While the ******* by ISIS-K in Russia on Friday was a dramatic escalation, experts said the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir ****** in recent years.

“ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia for the past two years, frequently criticizing ****** in its ***********,” said Colin Clarke of Soufan Center, a Washington-based research group.

Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilson Center said that ISIS-K “sees Russia as being complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims.”

He added that the group also counts as members a number of Central ****** militants with their own grievances against Moscow.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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