WASHINGTON - The United States has intelligence confirming the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) claim of responsibility for a deadly shooting at a concert near Moscow on March 22, a US official told Reuters.

Here is information about the Afghan branch known as the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and its possible motives for attacking Russia.

What is ISIS-K?

ISIS-K, named after an old term, Khorasan, for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly established a reputation for extreme brutality.

One of the most active regional affiliates of the ISIS militant group, ISIS-K has seen its membership decline since peaking around 2018. The Taliban and US forces inflicted heavy losses.

The US has said its ability to develop intelligence against extremist groups, such as ISIS-K, in Afghanistan has been reduced since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in 2021.

What attacks has the group carried out?

ISIS-K has a history of attacks, including against mosques, inside and outside Afghanistan.

Earlier in 2024, the US intercepted communications confirming the group carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people. In March, the top US general in the Middle East said ISIS-K could attack US and Western interests outside of Afghanistan “in as little as six months and with little to no warning”.

In September 2022, ISIS-K militants claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing at the Russian Embassy in Kabul.

The group was also responsible for an attack on Kabul’s international airport in 2021 that killed 13 US troops and scores of civilians during the chaotic US evacuation from the country.

Why would it attack Russia?

While the attack by ISIS-K in Russia on March 22 was a dramatic escalation, experts said the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years.

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

Mr Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilson Centre said ISIS-K “sees Russia as being complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims”.

He added that the group also counts as members a number of Central Asian militants with their own grievances against Moscow. REUTERS