The
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's deadly
shooting incident at a concert outside of
Moscow , and the
United States has intelligence supporting this allegation. The group, which takes its name from the province in which it operates mostly, is a provincial branch of Islamic State. What's left of the Islamic State has mostly vanished underground in the territory of
Syria and
Iraq following the Caliphate's fall in 2019, yet it still maintains certain strongholds in other areas. The following details the goals behind the Islamic State's attack on
Russia , as reported by its branch in
Afghanistan , known as ISIS-K: READ MORE: Moscow massacre suspects pictured as they reveal dark motives behind mass shooting which killed 150 A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall ( Image: AP) What is ISIS-K? ISIS-K was established in 2014 by a group of defectors from various organisations, such as al-Qaeda, the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), and former
Taliban combatants from
Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Islamic State in the centre said in January 2015 that it was officially entering the province of Khorasan. ISIS-K is thought to have between 4,000 to 6,000 members. Since the Taliban assassinated ISIS-K chief Sanaullah Ghafari in 2023, it is unclear who is in charge of the organisation. The connections between members and other organisations like the TTP and al-Qaeda have been called "blurry." Rescuers work inside the Crocus City Hall a day after attack ( Image:
Russian INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE/) An ancient territory that is now part of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan is referred to as Khorasan. ISIS-K follows the basic
ISIS doctrine, which states that the establishment of a transnational caliphate is the ultimate aim, despite its name suggesting that it is only active in the Khorasan region. Who has ISIS-K attacked before? Reuters , who spoke with
American intelligence officials, claims that ISIS-K has a history of strikes, both inside and outside of Afghanistan, including attacks against mosques. The U.S. intercepted communications earlier this year that confirmed the group carried out the twin attacks in
Iran that resulted in almost 100 deaths. ( Image: AFP/Getty Images) ISIS-K militants took credit for a deadly suicide bombing against the Russian embassy in
Kabul in September 2022. The militants were also behind the 2021 attack on the international airport in Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American soldiers and numerous civilians amid the tumultuous US withdrawal from the nation. For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the
USA, go to The Mirror US The number of strikes inside Afghanistan has decreased as a result of the Taliban's efforts to destroy the organisation, according to a January UN report. But the bombings have continued. American analyst speculate that ISIS-K attacked Russia over gripes with
Vladimir Putin ( Image: Alamy Live News.) In front of a bank in Kandahar, Afghanistan, there was a suicide
explosion on Thursday that left at least three people dead and 12 injured, according to local authorities. The Islamic State claimed credit for the attack. Why did ISIS-K attack Russia? Even if ISIS-K's attack in Russia on Friday represented a significant uptick, analysts noted that the organisation has recently expressed opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin . ISIS-K takes its name from the province in which it operates mostly ( Image: AFP via Getty Images) For the past two years, "ISIS-K has been fixated on Russia, frequently criticising Putin in its propaganda," according to Colin Clarke of the research group Soufan Center, based in
New York. According to Wilson Center analyst Michael Kugelman in
Washington, ISIS-K "sees Russia as being complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims." He continued by saying that several terrorists from Central Asia who have their own complaints against Moscow are also members of the group.