as a russian silowiki (Security forces) are grappling with the fallout from last week’s deadly attack in Moscow as questions emerge about its instigators.
It is now generally acknowledged Washington has issued a warning The Kremlin was informed of possible attacks by so-called Islamic State (IS) militants under its long-standing “duty to warn” policy, but the policy was ignored.
Russia’s worst terror attack in 20 years has sparked a polarizing debate in Western security circles: Russia watchers believe the FSB may have been involved in spurring nationwide mobilization, while Islamic State watchers agree that the jihadists claimed responsibility. is credible.
Four of the attack suspects detained by Russia are from Tajikistan, and another attacker from Kyrgyzstan is accused of renting an apartment to them.
A senior Turkish security official said on Tuesday that two of the attackers were in the country before traveling to Russia. Authorities believe the two men “became radicalized in Russia” because they had not been in Turkey long, the official said.
Türkiye detained 147 people on Tuesday Authorities have cracked down on the group amid concerns the country may now be targeted.
The attack has reignited interest in the Islamic State Khorasan Province (also known as ISKP, ISIS-K or IS-K), a regional affiliate of the Islamic State focused on Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia.
IS-K evolved from an Islamic movement in Uzbekistan that was originally allied with the Taliban. The faction was founded in 2015 by disillusioned former members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, as well as Islamic State fighters who fled from Iraq and Syria to join the group.
IS-K’s recruitment strategy also includes plotting prison breaks and launching amnesty campaigns. The Biden administration’s disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent resurgence of the Taliban in 2021 served as a catalyst for IS-K, prompting the group to increase its recruitment efforts, especially targeting Central Asians. Within Afghanistan, IS-K has exploited the discord between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s Salafi community to present itself as a viable alternative to those disenchanted with Taliban governance.
This recruitment strategy extends to Central Asia, where IS-K uses digital platforms to spread its ideology and recruit fighters. IS-K’s core members are large numbers of Islamist militants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The group has also expanded its influence into neighboring countries such as India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, attracting new members with varying motivations, ranging from religion to separatism, and from seeking revenge to financial incentives.
IS-K is notorious for orchestrating some of the deadliest attacks in the region, underscoring its relentless speed and tactical acumen.
The group has demonstrated its capacity for violence through a series of incidents, including an attack on Kabul University in November 2020 that left 22 students dead and many injured. In August 2021, a devastating series of bombings at Kabul airport killed 170 people, highlighting the deep-seated animosity between IS-K and the Taliban. Such attacks demonstrate the group’s ruthlessness and its competition with the Taliban for influence, funding and resources. Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan has always been a stronghold of the “Islamic State” organization.
IS-K has demonstrated a deep understanding of revenue generation, employing methods ranging from kidnapping for ransom operations to mining conflict minerals and soliciting donations. The group has a decentralized financial structure that facilitates funding of various activities including operations, training and logistics. The methods it uses include cash express, Hawala (underground banking) networks, bank transfers and cryptocurrency transactions to move funds. This agility ensures IS-K’s ability to project terror and conduct operations, making it a formidable adversary and ongoing security challenge to the Taliban.
IS-K’s latest deadly act has repercussions beyond the region, prompting European countries such as France and Italy to step up security measures, especially after IS claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack.
Just three months before the Moscow attack, three Tajik men with alleged links to IS-K were arrested for attempting to attack Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
There are now growing concerns about the potential threat of IS as it continues to recruit and expand its operations in the UK and Europe – areas still recovering from a series of IS-led attacks between 2014 and 2017 , highlighting broader global challenges.
While the Islamic State’s attack in Moscow may have established its presence as a powerful entity on the international stage, it is equally necessary to interpret the attack as an attempt to signal capabilities aimed at masking their A reality that is actually struggling. Home.
Munira Mustaffa is a security practitioner and researcher with expertise in intelligence, counterterrorism and countering violent extremism
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