French President Emmanuel Macron / Cayenne AFP=Yonhap News
French President Emmanuel Macron accused the extremist armed group Islamic State (IS) of being behind the Moscow theater terror attack in Russia, revealing on the 25th (local time) that they had attempted multiple attacks in France as well.
According to AFP, Reuters, and other sources, Macron, who is visiting French Guiana, stated, “According to the information we have obtained, the organization that planned and carried out the (Moscow) terror attack was the IS.”
Macron mentioned the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), the IS offshoot that claimed responsibility for the terror attack, stating, “This group has also attempted to commit several acts on our territory.”
“Taking advantage of this situation to shift the blame onto Ukraine will be detrimental and counterproductive for Russia itself and for the security of Russians,” he criticized.
On the 22nd, a shooting and arson terror attack took place at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in the Krasnogorsk region on the outskirts of Moscow, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The IS claimed responsibility, and the United States also attributed it to the IS.
However, in Russia, there continue to be raised questions about the connection between this terror attack and Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a national address on the 23rd, “They fled towards Ukraine, and initial information suggests that there was a window for them to cross the border on the Ukrainian side.”
The aftermath of the terror attack in Moscow has also put France, which is hosting the Summer Olympics in Paris this year, on high alert.
Immediately after the terror attack, France elevated its domestic security posture to the highest level, and President Macron convened an emergency security meeting to discuss response measures following the Moscow terror attack.
President Macron stated that France has proposed “enhanced cooperation” with Russian intelligence agencies, adding, “We will see how the situation develops.”
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