The extremist group "Islamic State" (IS) today confirmed the arrest in Russia of four of its members responsible for the deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow, a day after Russian authorities made new accusations of links between the attackers and "Ukrainian nationalists", AFP reported, quoted by BTA.
The responsibility for the terrorist attack, in which a week ago in the "Crocus City Hall" 143 people died, it was already taken over by IS, but the Russian authorities claim that "Ukrainian nationalists" are behind it. For its part, Kiev denies being involved in the attack.
The publication of IS "An Nabaa" confirms that "four fighters who are soldiers of the caliphate" attacked the hall in a suburb of Moscow. Three of them used automatic weapons, and the fourth caused a fire, writes "An Nabaa", quoted in the channels of the mobile application "Telegram" of the jihadist group.
The attackers then fled the scene. Russian forces launched a manhunt and eventually surrounded the terrorists in a wooded area. "May God free them from their captivity", writes the weekly "An-Nabaa".
The attack, Russia's deadliest in 20 years, killed at least 143 people and injured 360, including children. Russian authorities announced the arrest of 11 people, including the four alleged attackers. Eight of them have been charged and are being held in custody.
Russia's Investigative Committee, the body responsible for major criminal investigations, said yesterday that the perpetrators of the attack had "connections with Ukrainian nationalists" and have received "big" amounts of cash and cryptocurrency from Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself said that the four attackers were arrested in Russia's Bryansk region while trying to escape to Ukraine, where a "window" had been prepared on the Ukrainian side allowing them to cross the border.
Director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSS) Alexander Bortnikov accused Ukrainian and Western secret services of "facilitating" the attack.