On the evening of March 22, a large-scale terror attack occurred in Moscow,
reportedly killing 40 individuals and injuring at least 100. ISIS via its
propaganda outlet Amaq News Agency claimed responsibility for the attack.





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ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack At Moscow Concert Hall


(Berlin, D.E. / New York, N.Y.) – On the evening of March 22, a large-scale
terror attack occurred in Moscow,reportedly
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killing 40 individuals and injuring at least 100. ISIS via its propaganda
outlet Amaq News Agencyclaimed responsibility
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for the attack.



With this attack, ISIS has demonstrated again that it remains a dangerous
global terrorist network. Since the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel,
ISIS has been undersignificant pressure
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to conduct attacks against targets outside immediate conflict zones to
demonstrate its continued relevance as a global terrorist network to its
sympathizers. Especially as the attention of the world media has been
justifiably focused on Hamas, Hezbollah, and more recently the Houthis.



Given the fact that the current ISIS claim of responsibility is specific in
identifying the location of the attack and asserting that some of its fighters
were able to flee the scene, which seems to have been the case, this claim of
responsibility appears credible.



IS-Khorasan Province (ISKP) is the most likely ISIS affiliate behind this
attack, given its operational structure. In itspropaganda statements
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continuously highlighted the close relationship of Russia to the Taliban regime
and called for attacks against both. Furthermore, since 2020, ISKP has made
sustained attempts to conduct complex terrorist attacks in Europe. In summer
2020, German authorities arrested an ISKP-linkedterrorist cell in Germany
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that, according to the federal prosecutor of Germany, was planning to attack
U.S. military installations in Germany. Additional ISKP linked cells were
arrested insummer 2023
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in Germany and in theNetherlands
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. InDecember 2023
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, German andAustrian
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authorities arrested ISKP members who planned to conduct attacks against
events in Europe during the Christmas holiday. Finally, this week, German
authorities arrested two Afghan members of ISKP who reportedly plannedattacks
in Sweden
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.



During these arrests, it became clear that ISKP is returning to the “classic”
terrorist methodology, made infamous by al-Qaeda in the late 1990s and early
2000s. Operatives are recruited and trained outside the target countries,
operate as multi-person cells, and aim to conduct spectacular, more complex
terror attacks than those carried out by lone actors. The attack Friday night
in Moscow seems to have been an example of this methodology.



Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Managing Director of CEP Germany, stated:



“Friday night’s horrible events in Moscow are an important reminder that we
should not underestimate the continued terrorist threat that ISIS poses.
Furthermore, Afghanistan remains a very active terrorism zone. ISKP maintains
its main center of gravity in the country and the Taliban are neither capable
nor ultimately willing to get ISKP fully under control. A significant number of
the current ISKP members in Afghanistan are former Taliban, hence any sustained
pressure by the Taliban against ISKP risks Taliban defections to ISKP. Given
this situation, the Taliban can never be a reliable counterterrorism partner.
Furthermore, should the responsibility of ISKP for this attack be established,
the Taliban should also be held responsible.”



Ambassador Mark Wallace, CEO of the Counter Extremism Project, stated:



“The terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow tragically illustrates that
ISIS remains an active global terrorism threat. If the ISIS affiliate in
Afghanistan, ISKP, indeed carried out this attack, the Taliban is sure to blame
for its inability to rein in groups operating from within its borders. The
Taliban regime is in control of Afghanistan and any terrorism emanating from
the country ultimately remains their responsibility, even if conducted by a
group that is their adversary.”



To read CEP’s ISIS report, click here
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To read CEP’s Afghanistan Content Report, click here
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