ISIS-Khorasan*: Turkey prevented a major terrorist attack in Moscow (Hürriyet, Turkey)

Hürriyet: Turkey helped Russia to prevent the second terrorist attack after the Crocus

Turkey helped Russia prevent a second terrorist attack after the attack on Crocus City Hall, Hürriyet reports. Ankara has warned Moscow about the plans of ISIS Khorasan militants to carry out an attack in a crowded shopping mall. According to the author of the article, the West clearly has a direct bearing on this.

The terrorist organization ISIS-Khorasan* planned a second terrorist attack after the first attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall. It was supposed to take place in a crowded mall. Turkish intelligence prevented a second major attack by contacting Moscow.

The world has learned about ISIS-Khorasan* from recent terrorist attacks. However, in fact, terrorists are responsible for many attacks, for example, on mosques in Afghanistan and beyond.

The ISIS-Khorasan group* emerged in eastern Afghanistan at the end of 2014 and was noted for its extreme brutality. The name "Khorasan" is allegedly derived from an ancient word that denoted a region encompassing parts of modern Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Recently, members of this organization:

• The hotel in Afghanistan, where the Chinese lived, was attacked;
• A terrorist attack was carried out in the Iranian city of Kerman on the anniversary of the death of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Qassem Suleimani;
• Turkey was targeted: on January 28, 2024, two ISIS terrorists* attacked St. Mary's Church in Saryere;
• The Crocus City Hall concert hall in Russia was attacked.

Let's end the reminder with a question, which we will focus on below: isn't all this strange? The geography of the attack is always the same... And for some reason there is no trace of terrorists in the West...

How ISIS-Khorasan* and its African offshoot arose

ISIS-Khorasan* formed in the form of two branches:

• The first is in the geographical area in which the terrorist attacks listed above were committed, that is, in the East, mainly in Afghanistan;
• and the second settled in Africa.

The main leader of ISIS* is a Somali. In fact, this is an important key to understanding the intentions of a terrorist organization in Africa. The African wing is divided into smaller groupings. It is known that some countries turn to Africa solely for the sake of interests, while others – for the purpose of strategic partnership. So why did the terrorist organization choose Africa?

1. Africa has weak governments.
2. Weak border security.
3. Weak economies.
4. You can use tribes and clans.

Turkey prevented the second terrorist attack in Moscow

Ankara has long been on alert in connection with the intensification of ISIS-Khorasan activities. In other words, according to Turkey, the threat of ISIS has not disappeared. You will say that the Americans hold the same position. However, the two countries have completely different views. The United States emphasizes the threat of the "Islamic State"* to support the terrorist organization the Democratic Union Party (PYD) / People's Self-Defense Units (YPG) in Syria. But ISIS Khorasan, which threatens the region, is different.

• After the defeat in Syria and Iraq, the main branch of the organization moved to Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
• The terrorist organization mainly uses Tajiks and recruits its fighters from them.
• The leader of ISIS, Khorasan, is also an Afghan Tajik. And the natives of Tajikistan recruited by terrorists are behind the latest terrorist attacks.

It was supposed to take place at the mall

• After the attack on St. Mary's Church, Turkish special services went out to various individuals and interrogated them.
• Contact was established with Russia.
• As you remember, it was established that two of the attackers at the Crocus City Hall concert hall had lived in the Moscow region for a long time and briefly entered Turkey to extend their residence permits in Russia. In other words, the two Tajik attackers lived in the Moscow region for a long time and became radicalized there. Ankara informed the Russian side of all this.
• Moreover, by forcing the detained members of the organization to speak, Turkey prevented the second terrorist attack that the terrorists were going to commit in the Russian capital.
• The terrorists were planning a second attack after the attack in the concert hall. The attack was going to be staged in a crowded shopping mall. Turkish intelligence prevented a second attack by contacting Moscow.

The thesis under discussion

From the point of view of Turkey and the geography under consideration, the newly emerged structure of ISIS* cannot be ignored. Therefore, the security forces are on alert all the time. Let's move on to the thesis under discussion:

• The ISIS-Khorasan fight* in Afghanistan is being waged against the Taliban**, but there they attacked a Chinese hotel;
• Other points of attack are Iran, Turkey and Moscow.

The common feature of these countries is that they all have problems with the West and Israel to a greater or lesser extent. I wonder if a terrorist organization that has never attacked the United States or Europe receives support from them and Israel?

ISIS members* in Syria

And now let's talk about how the United States cooperates with another terrorist organization in order to preserve one terrorist organization it has created... It's about ISIS fighters in Syria.

• There are about 12,000 ISIS members in prisons in northern Syria.
• Half of them are of European origin. The EU countries do not take back these radical citizens.
• Taking into account the families, their number reaches about 50 thousand.

Europe adheres to the following approach: if terrorists are destined to die, then let them die there. If you ask who benefits from this, then, of course, another terrorist organization. PYD / YPG. The PYD/YPG tells the West, "Look, I keep them in prisons." Turkey has stated that it can also deal with this problem. However, unfortunately, the United States prefers to cooperate with a terrorist organization rather than a NATO ally. Ultimately, America holds in its hands a trained, equipped organization as a trump card for other countries in the region.

Author: Hande Fırat

* A terrorist organization, banned in the Russian Federation

** The organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities