Daesh hails terrorist group's attack on concert hall in Russia
Fire rises above the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, March 22, 2024. (EPA Photo)


Daesh spokesperson on Thursday praised the terrorist group's attack that killed more than 140 people in a Russian concert hall near Moscow.

Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari was speaking in a recorded message posted on Thursday on the terrorist group's Telegram channel.

Al-Ansari also reiterated urging the terrorist group's supporters to target "crusaders" everywhere, especially in the United States, Europe and Israel.

"We ask God that you make it to Palestine so you could fight the Jews face to face in an endless religious war," he said.

A faction of Daesh has claimed responsibility for the massacre. But Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have persistently claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine and the West had a role in the attack.

Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that the concert hall gunmen were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists," an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.

Kyiv denies involvement and its officials claim that Moscow is pushing the allegation as a pretext to intensify its fighting in Ukraine.

Eleven people were arrested in the first 24 hours after the shooting and eight of them, including the four suspected gunmen, have been placed in pre-trial detention. Seven are from the Central Asian state of Tajikistan and the other from Kyrgyzstan.