Enlarge image

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser

Photo: Olivier Hoslet / EPA

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) currently describes Islamists as responsible for the serious attack near Moscow that left more than 130 dead. "Based on everything that is known so far, it can be assumed that the terrorist group "Islamic State Khorasan Province" is responsible for the murderous terrorist attack near Moscow," she told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung."

This group is currently the biggest Islamist threat in Germany, said Faeser. "The danger from Islamist terrorism remains acute." Just on Tuesday, the federal prosecutor's office had two suspected Islamists from the IS offshoot arrested in the Gera area in Thuringia. They are said to have planned an attack on the Swedish parliament.

The greatly increased protective measures taken by the security authorities in Cologne around Christmas and New Year's Eve were also aimed at protecting against possible attacks by the "Islamic State Khorasan Province" (ISPK), said Faeser.

Tusk: Don't use the attack as an excuse

Faeser condemned the attack near Moscow. "We mourn with the families of the many innocent victims of this cowardly and brutal terrorist attack," she said. "This attack, like the recent bomb attack in the Iranian city of Kerman, shows how seriously the global threat posed by Islamist terror should be taken."

The Interior Minister thus joins a group of leading international politicians who spoke out strongly against the attack. It was a “heinous crime,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday. "We condemn terrorism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the Russian people, who mourn the loss of life caused by this terrible event." The US government expresses its condolences to the relatives of the victims.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also condemned the terrorist attack and expressed his condolences to the victims' families. At the same time, he warned against instrumentalization. "We hope that this terrible tragedy will not serve as an excuse for anyone to escalate violence and aggression," the liberal-conservative politician wrote on X on Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently spoke of possible Ukraine involvement. However, he provided no evidence of this. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement.

hpi/dpa