A top Russian security official said that the March 22 concert hall attack in Moscow was carried out by the Daesh terrorist group.
The terrorist attack, which targeted the Crocus City Hall, left 144 people dead and 360 others injured.
Daesh Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) had initially claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack, but Moscow blamed Ukraine for it.
Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov told RIA Novosti that the attack was coordinated by Daesh-K members. However, he did not rule out Ukrainian involvement, claiming that after carrying out the attack, the terrorists received instructions to move toward the border with Ukraine, where a “window” was prepared for them.
“The investigation is still ongoing but it can already be said with certainty that Ukrainian military intelligence is directly implicated in the attack,” Bortnikov said.
Turkish authorities had previously said that the attack was carried out by members of Daesh-K in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, similar to Bortnikov’s recent statements
In October 2022, Daesh-K, known to be active mostly in Afghanistan and surrounding regions, attacked the Shah Cheragh mosque in Iran’s Shiraz, killing 15 people and injuring 40 others.
In December 2022, the same terrorist group attacked a Chinese-owned hotel in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing three people and injuring 15 others.
In early 2024, Daesh-K carried out an attack, killing 103 people and injuring dozens of others, during a commemoration ceremony for slain Gen. Qassem Soleimani on the anniversary of his killing, in Kerman, Iran.
The four gunmen who attacked the concert hall in the Russian capital visited Türkiye briefly to renew their residency permits in Russia.
Russia detained the terrorists following the deadly attack, who now face life in prison for their ruthless crime. Some reports on Russian media outlets claimed that the terrorists came to Russia from Türkiye, but Turkish security sources noted that the perpetrators had been residing in Moscow for a long period and had to visit another country and chose Türkiye due to its proximity to extend their stay in Russia.
Sources dismissed the claims that the two of the terrorists, who were of Tajikistan origin, were radicalized in Türkiye and instead said they were radicalized in Russia, stressing that the short period they spent in Türkiye wouldn’t be enough for their radicalization.
Furthermore, there was no search warrant for the two terrorists, which enabled them to freely travel between Russia and Türkiye.
According to sources, terrorist Shamsidin Fariduni entered Türkiye on a flight on Feb. 20, 2024, and left on March 2, 2024. He checked in at a hotel in Istanbul’s Fatih district one day after his arrival and checked out on Feb. 27. In his testimony, he confessed to visiting Türkiye after his Russian visa expired.
Terrorist Saidakram Rajabalizoda came to Istanbul on Jan. 5, 2024, and checked in at a hotel in Fatih district and checked out on Jan. 21, 2024, sources said, adding that he left the country on the same flight with terrorist Fariduni.
“Türkiye continues to fight all terrorist groups, including Daesh, PKK/YPG, al-Qaida and others, with determination,” sources said.
