Despite attempts by President Vladimir Putin and Russia state-controlled media to pin di blame for Friday deadly Moscow theatre attack on Ukraine, more details don emerge about di jihadist group IS-K that has claimed it was behind it.
Who or Wetin be di IS-K?
IS-K na abbreviation of Islamic State-Khorasan – one regional affiliate of di Islamic State group, wey don dey proscribed as a terror organisation by goments across di world.
E dey focused on Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan and into Central Asia.
Di group don give diasef di name Khorasan as dat na part of one historic Islamic caliphate wey span dat region.
IS-K don dey around for nine years but in recent months e don emerge as di most dangerous branch of di Islamic State group, wit a long reach and a reputation for extreme brutality and cruelty.
Along wit wetin dey left of di group wider leadership for Syria and Iraq, IS-K aspire to a pan-national Islamic caliphate ruled through one ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia, Islamic law.
For Afghanistan e dey wage sporadic but still deadly insurgency against di kontri rulers, di Taliban, wey dem oppose on ideological grounds.
IS-K don commit attacks bifor?
Dem bin target di chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport for 2021 wit suicide bomb wey kill 170 Afghans and 13 US servicemen.
Di next year dem target di Russian embassy for Kabul wia dem kill at least six pipo and injure odas.
Di group don run anyhow attacks on one maternity ward, bus stations and policemen dem.
For January dis year, IS-K do double bombing of one shrine for Kerman, Iran wey kill almost 100 pipo.
For Russia, dem don run some small-small attacks, most recently for 2020, and alreadi dis year di FSB wey be Russian internal security service say dem don stop plenti terror plots.
Who be di attackers?
According to Russian state media, di four men wey dem catch and wey don collect charges come from Tajikstan, wey bin dey part of di Soviet Union.
E clear by di way dem look for court say dem fit don use torture take interrogate dem.
Wetin fit cause wahala wit dat be say according to international norms, dia confessions dey useless, bicos pipo go tok anytin to make di pain stop, and dat include to confess to wetin no dey true.
Tori be say dem sight one of di dem as e dey do surveillance of di venue for early March, wey be around di time wey di US warn Russia say threat dey of attack for public space – warning wey Kremlin no gree hear, as dem tok say na “propaganda”
Another report say at least two of di attackers bin arrive for Russia recently, and e imply say dem be “hit team” wey IS-K send, rather dan a sleeper cell of residents.
Why dem target Russia?
IS-K tink say most of di world na dia enemies. Russia dey high for di list as well as di US, Europe, Israel, Jews, Christians, Shia Muslims, di Taliban and all di rulers of Muslim majority states wey dem see as “apostates”.
Islamic State beef wit Russia na since di Chechen wars for di 1990s and 2000s wen Moscow scata di Chechen capital, Grozny.
More recently, Russia bin enta di Syrian civil war on di side of dia ally, President Bashar al-Assad, and di Russian air force don carry out countless bombings of rebel and civilian positions, killing large numbers of Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda-linked fighters.
For Afghanistan, IS-K see Russia as ally wit di Taliban and dat na why dem attack di Russian embassy for Kabul for 2022.
Dem also get beef wit di 101 years brutal Soviet occupation of di kontri from 1979-89.
Den, e get situation inside Russia gan-gan.
IS-K see Russia as Christian kontri and dia video wey dem release afta di Moscow attacks say dem dey kill Christians.
Tajik and oda migrant workers from Central Asia dey face some kain harassment and suspicion by FSB as dem wan prevent terrorist attacks.
Finally, Russia, wey be kontri wey dey distracted wit dia war wit Ukraine, fit just be di convenient target for IS-K, becos na place wia weapons full ground and dia enemy guard dey down.
Wetin we still neva know?
Some questions still dey about di whole mata.
For instance, why di attackers bin dey waka for almost one hour around Crocus Hall witout looking like say dem dey hurry.
For kontri wia police and especially di FSB full evriwia, dis gunmen bin dey act like dem know say no police SWAT team go block dia work.
Den di next question na about di weapons, no be only handguns, dem also get powerful, modern automatic assault rifles. How dem manage get dem come carry dem enta di venue witout say anybodi catch dem.
Di speed wey dem take catch dem also dey surprising.
Unlike many jihadist gunmen wey run dis kain attack, dis men no wear suicide vests or belts, in di manner of dose wey prefer death instead of capture.
And still e no take di same Russian authorities wey no fit stop di worst terror plot in 20 years to happun, time to catch dem and carry dem go court.
All dis make some analysts to tok say dis fit be some kain “inside job” by Kremlin or “false flag operation” to gada support for di war on Ukraine.
But hard evidence neva dey to support di theory and US intelligence don confam say to dem na di Islamic State run di attack.