🇷🇺⚫️ CIG #commentary | Despite solid evidence that the Islamic State is behind the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, with ISIS themselves claiming responsibility, Russian news channels and other pro-Russian Western pundits are pushing the narrative that Ukraine and Vladimir Zelensky are the real masterminds.

Vladimir Putin and the Federal Security Service (FSB) are trying to cover up their embarrassing failure which allowed 4 jihadists to torch a concert hall in Moscow and kill over 143 people and then attempt an escape after receiving a heads up from U.S. intelligence three weeks ago about potential ISIS/ISKP activity in Russia. They are trying to spin it up as being the work of the SBU by falsely claiming that the terrorists are either Chechens and are affiliated with the Ajnad-al-Kavkaz group or that they are simply jihadist Tadjiks recruited by Ukraine and fight an irregular war against Russia.

Perhaps after annihilating two ISKP cells in Ingushetia earlier this month, the FSB let its guard down thinking they terminated all threats coming from ISKP but they were wrong. The ISKP remains ISIS' strongest and most prolific franchise with a number of cells in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with links to jihadists in India and likely receiving aid from Pakistani intelligence.

The ISKP has been able to penetrate Iran, bombing the city of Kerman in January 2024, where IRGC general, Qassem Soleimani is buried.

ISIS is on the rise again not just in Central Asia, but also in the Middle East, now that the eyes of the powers who were dealing with ISIS are focused elsewhere, Russia's FSB on Ukrainian sabotage, Iran and the U.S. on events in Gaza and Lebanon. Attacks like the Crocus City Hall will become more common unless the security agencies all over the world take ISIS and its branches seriously.

@CIG_telegram