Security forces and civil defense members near the site of the bloody attack in Moscow (Reuters)

At least 93 people were killed on Friday when gunmen wearing camouflage clothing opened fire with automatic weapons on people during a concert near Moscow, in one of the deadliest attacks in Russia in decades.

The ISIS-affiliated Amaq Agency said - via the Telegram application - that the organization claimed responsibility for the attack, and an American official told Reuters that the United States had intelligence information confirming the organization’s announcement.

The following is information about the Afghan branch of the organization known as the Islamic State-Khorasan Province and their motives for attacking Russia:

What is the Islamic State-Khorasan Province?

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province appeared in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014, and quickly became famous for its brutality. The name Khorasan was derived from an ancient word given to a region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan.

It is one of the most active regional organizations affiliated with ISIS, and the number of its members has witnessed a decline since recording its highest levels in approximately 2018. The Taliban and American forces inflicted heavy losses on the organization.

The United States said that its ability to increase intelligence activity against armed groups in Afghanistan, such as the Islamic State-Khorasan Province, has declined since the withdrawal of US forces from the country in 2021.

The attack carried out by the Islamic State - Khorasan Province in Russia yesterday, Friday, represents a major escalation (Al Jazeera)

What attacks did the organization carry out?

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province has a history of attacks, including attacks targeting mosques inside and outside Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, the United States intercepted communications confirming that the organization carried out two bombings in Iran, killing nearly 100 people.

In September 2022, the organization’s militants claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that caused deaths at the Russian embassy in Kabul.

The organization was responsible for an attack on Kabul International Airport in 2021 that killed 13 American soldiers and dozens of civilians during the chaotic American evacuation from Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, the most senior American general in the Middle East said that the Islamic State-Khorasan Province could attack American and Western interests outside Afghanistan “within less than 6 months and without warning.”

Why are they attacking Russia?

Experts say that the Islamic State-Khorasan Province has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the past few years, but the attack carried out by the group in Russia yesterday represents a major escalation.

Colin Clark of the Soufan Center, a Washington-based research group, said: “ISIS-K has focused its attention on Russia over the past two years, and its propaganda has repeatedly included criticism of Putin.”

Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilson Center said that ISIS-K "sees Russia as complicit in activities that continually persecute Muslims."

He added that the organization also includes among its members a number of militants coming from Central Asia who have their own grievances toward Moscow.

Source: Reuters