Why Islamic State targeted Russia and attacked Moscow concert hall

As Moscow saw one of its deadliest terror attacks in decades, with over 60 people killed as gunmen opened fire at a concert hall, questions have swirled on social media why the Islamic State targeted Russia.

The attack, which comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin won his fifth term in office, was carried out by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of the Islamic State in Afghanistan.

The attack comes amid a long-standing and persistent conflict between Russia and the Islamic State that started with President Putin’s intervention in the Syrian Civil War in 2015. Putin had backed President Bashar al-Assad against the Islamic State.

This is, however, not the first time that ISIS-K has targeted Russia. In 2022, the ISIS-K carried out a suicide attack on the Russian Embassy in Kabul, which killed eight people, including two embassy employees.

The development comes as ISIS-K got a second wind following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and is seeking new targets outside the Taliban-controlled country.

A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow (AP)
REVIVAL OF ISLAMIC STATE-KHORASAN (ISIS-K)

ISIS-K was formed in 2015 by disenchanted members of the Pakistani Taliban. It quickly raised its international profile by carrying out attacks on Afghan security forces, ministries, and religious minorities.

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, ISIS-K was labelled one of the top four deadliest terrorist organisations in 2018, receiving funds worth $100 million and training from the Islamic State’s central leadership in Iraq and Syria.

However, the group failed to sustain its dominance due to a persistent crackdown from three sides: the US military, Afghan commandos, and the Afghan Taliban. Thus, by 2021, ISIS-K was left with only about 1,500-2,000 fighters as American airstrikes wiped out their top leaders.

The group started its revival journey after the Taliban took over the Afghan government following the withdrawal of US troops. In 2021, ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing at the Kabul international airport, killing 13 US security personnel and as many as 170 civilians.

The group has now started to ramp up its operations outside Afghanistan. ISIS-K has a cadre of foreign fighters from South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Europe.

In January, the ISIS-K carried out a suicide bombing in Iran during a memorial procession for Major General Qassim Suleimani, killing 84 people. Days later, masked ISIS-K assailants attacked a Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul, killing one person.

People light candles in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack in Moscow (AP)
AGAINST PUTIN’S PROPAGANDA, OPPRESSION OF MUSLIMS

While there has been no recent precedent of Islamic State carrying out attacks in Russia, experts noted how the outfit opposed Putin in recent years.

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

Russia has found itself in the crosshairs of ISIS-K for several reasons. Firstly, Russia’s growing ties with the Taliban has come as a setback to ISIS-K. The ISIS-K and the Taliban are bitter enemies due to their sectarian differences.

For Russia, Afghanistan provides access to new trade routes amid crippling Western sanctions. In return, the Taliban hopes to acquire international recognition and support. In fact, the Taliban has not criticised Russia regarding the Ukraine conflict.

Several gunmen burst into a concert hall in Moscow and fired automatic weapons at the crowd (AP)
Another expert from the Washington-based Wilson Center told Reuters that ISIS-K “sees Russia as being complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims”.

Over recent years, human rights organisations like Amnesty International have highlighted cases of Muslims being denied employment, education, or housing opportunities.

The Muslim population in Russia is estimated to be around 20 million. Most of the Muslim population resides in the North Caucasus region, which includes Chechnya. The region, which has experienced two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union, has seen the emergence of extremist groups, including those affiliated with the Islamic State.

Human rights groups have flagged abuses against Muslims, including torture, restrictions on religious practices, surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and targeted violence in the region.

Moreover, the Russian government has enforced several policies targeting religious groups under the guise of combating extremism in Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

An Amnesty International report said Russia has brought a law according to which praying, preaching or disseminating religious materials outside specifically designated places was a punishable offence. The report also mentions instances of Russian security personnel disrupting Friday prayers in Crimean mosques.

Moreover, remarks by Putin that the hijab was not a part of “traditional Islam” and was borrowed from an alien tradition has also given to resentment. In 2012, wearing hijabs at schools was first banned in Russia’s Stavropol region.