A poster purportedly from the Islamic State (IS) group has been circulated on social media threatening attacks on Russia, days after the Islamist group claimed responsibility for the storming of a concert center in Moscow.
The poster has been circulated by Iranian media, citing Al Azaim, a propaganda network of IS-Khorasan, according to screenshots shared by X users, such as Ukrainian internal affairs advisor Anton Gerashchenko. It has also been widely viewed on Russian Telegram channels. The information has not been verified and Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
IS-Khorasan, founded in Afghanistan in late 2014, has said it was behind Friday's attack on the Crocus Center in the Russian capital which killed at least 137 people.
Four suspects from Tajikistan face terror charges and have all pleaded guilty, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
They appeared in court with reports noting how they appeared to have been beaten and tortured. In protest against the torture and interrogation of members of the organization, the militants promise to carry out a new terrorist attack on Russia, said the poster.
A Russian language version of the message widely shared is headlined "Threat to all cruel Russians, including Putin" in front of an image of a masked man holding a knife. Underneath, the poster says, "Be warned, do not think that we do not have the opportunity to avenge our brothers held hostage.
"With Friday's attack, we showed you that with the permission of Allah, the mujahadeen of the Islamic State can punish you for your savagery."
The Russian Telegram channel Supernova Plus shared the image, posting that in protest against torture and interrogation of members of the organization, the Islamist group was "organizing another terrorist attack in the Russian Federation."
It follows the release of graphic video by IS showing attackers firing on the crowd inside the concert hall, which has been deemed genuine by media outlets such as the BBC.
No Russian official has backed the IS claim, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that it was inappropriate to comment on it until the investigation had been completed.
Russian officials and Kremlin propagandists had earlier claimed without evidence there was Ukrainian involvement in the massacre which was Russia's worst for two decades.
Kyiv and the U.S., which issued a warning about an impending attack on Russia, have rejected Moscow's claims.
Update 03/25/24, 12:57 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
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Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
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