MOSCOW, RUSSIA – ISIS, the Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for a deadly assault on a concert venue in Moscow, marking Russia’s worst terror attack in decades. The terror group released graphic footage depicting its gunmen carrying out the attack.
ISIS-K, a branch of ISIS formed in 2015, has been actively operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Following the decline of ISIS’ self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, the group has transformed into a global terror network with cells extending across various regions including Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The precise connection between ISIS and its affiliates like ISIS-K remains somewhat unclear. Although they share similar ideologies and tactics, the depth of their relationship in terms of chain of command and control has never been definitively established.
ISIS-K, much like its parent organization, aspires to establish a “pure Islamic state” governed by Sharia law. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) identifies this vision as a “global, transnational caliphate.”
Experts point to ISIS’ longstanding animosity towards Russia and President Putin as a potential motive for the recent attack. Russia has consistently been a target of ISIS, with their hostilities dating back several years.
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