American intelligence was aware of the threat to Moscow.
On March 7, two weeks before the killing that occurred Friday evening during a concert in the suburbs of the Russian capital, the American embassy in the United States published a
“security alert”
to its citizens.
“Avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours
,” we warned.
And added:
"The embassy is monitoring reports that extremists plan to target large gatherings in Moscow
. "
“Including concerts”
, it was specified, even though the shooting took place during a rock concert.
In its message, the embassy urged its citizens to
“avoid crowds”
,
“monitor local media”
and be
“aware”
of their
“environment”
.
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LIVE – Attack in Moscow: Islamic State claims responsibility for attack that left several dead in a concert hall in Russia
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The spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova denounced Friday evening a
“bloody terrorist attack”
and a
“monstrous crime”
.
“If the United States has or had reliable data on this subject, it must immediately transmit it to the Russian side
,” she ordered.
IS, limited influence in Russia
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State.
However, the influence of Daesh terrorists has always remained limited in Russia.
Official figures indicate that between 4,500 and 5,000 nationals, a good number of whom are from the Caucasus, fought alongside the organization.
It is in these areas, as well as in Dagestan, that the most recent IS attacks on the territory took place.
As in Ingushetia, region of origin of Mohammed Mogouchkov, the jihadist assassin of Professor Dominique Bernard in Arras, on October 13, 2023. In April 2017, two police officers were killed in Astrakhan, a city of 500,000 inhabitants built on the Volga , a few hundred kilometers from the Caucasus.
Despite the raging confrontation with kyiv, Moscow regularly continues its anti-terrorist operations.
On March 3, FSB special forces intervened in the town of Karabulak, Ingushetia.
Six fighters, suspected of an attack on a police station and the murder of three police officers in March 2023, were shot dead in a building.
Four days later, Russia claimed to have dismantled an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) cell in the Kaluga region, in the southwest of the country.
This branch of IS in Afghanistan - behind an attack on the Russian embassy in Kabul in 2022 - was accused of having prepared an attack against a Moscow synagogue.
The FSB then said it had seized
“firearms, ammunition, and components for the manufacture of an improvised explosive device”
.