William Molinié // Credits: GERARD JULIEN / AFP 6:17 a.m., March 26, 2024

The Islamic State in Khorasan, which claimed responsibility for the attack in Russia, has around 2,000 fighters. An internationally oriented group which was created at the end of 2014. Since then, they have increased bloody attacks, particularly in Iran. The French services consider EI-K to be a very serious threat.

What threat in France after the Islamist attack in Moscow? The Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, which claimed responsibility for the attack, has around 2,000 fighters. This is an internationally oriented group which was created at the end of 2014, with emissaries from Iraq and Syria. Since then, they have increased bloody attacks, particularly in Iran. Emmanuel Macron confirmed it on Sunday from Guyana, the intelligence services have authenticated the claim of the attack in Moscow by this jihadist group. In France, it is a threat taken very seriously. 

For two years, counterterrorism sensors have been redirected towards Central Asia. A change of course linked to electroshock which took place in autumn 2022. At this period, the DGSI arrested a Tajik and a Chechen in eastern France. Investigators suspect them of having been activated by the Afghan branch of the Islamic State. Another planned attack was foiled at the end of last year, involving this sector. Several students were arrested in Nancy, before being released without legal action. According to information from Europe 1, French intelligence was working on the hypothesis of scouting carried out on the Strasbourg Christmas market on behalf of the Islamic State in Khorassan. 

>> READ ALSO -

 Attack on Moscow: the Islamic State, real or ideal culprit?

A difficult branch to trace 

This branch of Daesh poses translation difficulties to exploit the wiretapping. Russian, Turkish and Caucasian dialects are spoken there. “The ethnolinguistic composition of these nationals is very complex,” underlines an anti-terrorism source. Chechens in France are the subject of special attention. They were already very involved in the departure channels in Syria and Iraq. The main risk is that certain sleeper cells are activated remotely, from the region of Afghanistan that Westerners have deserted since the withdrawal of American troops in 2021.