ISIS has claimed its first terror attack on Russian soil after two supporters attempted to murder police officers near Moscow.
ISIS has claimed its first terror attack on Russian soil after two supporters attempted to murder police officers near Moscow.
Both of men were killed during the assault at a traffic post on a motorway in Balashika on Wednesday, when they were armed with a gun and two axes.
Russia’s Investigative Committee named them as Uthman Mardalov and Salim Israilov. ISIS has hailed them as “soldiers of the Islamic State”, reported the Daily Mail.
The ISIS news agency Amaq released a short video featuring the two terrorists. The pair declared allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during the one-and-a-half minute clip. The pair were wearing hoodies and spoke both Russian and Arabic.
During the video, the duo said they wanted to take revenge for Russia killing Muslims in the Middle East. They video ended with the two threatening more attacks on Russia and shouting “Allahu Akbar”, the Independent reported.
“We have taken the path of jihad on orders of our Amir, Abu Bakr al-Baghdad. We have called this operation ‘revenge operation’. Revenge for you bombing our brothers and because you kill our brothers every day in Syria and Iraq...This will be the start of everything that will come to you,” the duo declared in the video they released online.
Russia has been bombing militants in Syria since September last year, part of a military campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
The ISIS called on its members to carry out jihad or holy war in Russia in a YouTube video last month, after which the Kremlin said such threats would not affect its fight against international terrorism.
