A terrorist attack has unfolded at Crocus City Hall outside of Moscow, as over a hundred people have reportedly been killed by a group of masked shooters who also set off explosives inside the venue.
“The terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has allegedly claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Mall in the city of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow region, according to CNN.
The group claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement published by the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency on Telegram on Friday. However, the terrorists did not provide any evidence to support their claim.
The Washington Post reports that in early March, the US Embassy in Russia warned of a terrorist threat in Moscow. The warning was partially based on intelligence reports of possible ISIS activity in Russia.
An American official, in an interview with CBS News, stated that the US has intelligence data confirming ISIS's claims of responsibility and that there is no reason to doubt these claims.
The official also confirmed that the US provided Russia with intelligence regarding a potential attack according to the intelligence community's Duty to Warn requirement.
At the same time, Russian media suggest that the ISIS announcement may be fake.
According to their information, the announcement used a template that ISIS had not used for several years. Official ISIS channels do not mention the attack.
In the past, ISIS has repeatedly claimed attacks carried out by other groups and has attributed technogenic disasters to its strikes.
Additionally, the ASTRA Telegram channel reports that a video allegedly from members of the ISIS Islamic State – Caucasus Province branch claiming responsibility for the attack in the Moscow region has appeared online. The authenticity of this video has also not been confirmed.
On Friday evening, March 22nd, in the city of Krasnogorsk in the Moscow region, several armed men in camouflage opened fire at the Crocus City Mall.
Some Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the incident. However, Kiev has denied involvement in the terrorist act.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine called the attack a planned and deliberate provocation by Russian special services under the direction of dictator Vladimir Putin”. -Kateryna Serohina, Ukraine News
While Western news outlets were quick to place the blame on the Islamic State, one suspects that the recent Ukrainian artillery strikes on the border near Belgerod may have resulted in the infiltration of armed militants sent out to target and kill Russian civilians.