On Saturday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) released a statement detailing the arrest of three additional individuals linked to the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia on March 22. This follows the arrest of over a dozen others in connection with the same deadly attack, which resulted in the death of over 140 people.
The recent arrestees included a Russian citizen and two foreign nationals. According to the FSB, these three individuals had travelled to Russia with the express intention to lend their support to the attack. The Russian citizen among them was purportedly tasked with engaging individuals to assist in the attack while the other two men arranged funding for the operation and purchased firearms and vehicles used in the attack. Despite being arrested in separate locations, the three arrestees were aware of each other’s involvement in the act.
The attack, which claimed the lives of over 140 individuals, ranks as the deadliest on Russian soil in the last two decades. The terror group ISIS took credit for the atrocity with the statement that the intended targets of the attack were Christians gathered within the venue.
Additionally, the FSB claimed that the men indicted had admitted to planning a series of further attacks in Russia. In the aftermath of the March 22 attack, the FSB has stated that it has disrupted over five additional terrorist plots.
Yet, the FSB faces concerns over potential “copycat” attacks inspired by the recent event’s publicity. Addressing these concerns, the federal service released a statement warning Russians that might feel disenfranchised by the government and its actions to remain vigilant against these potential threats to prevent mass hysteria from spreading.
The situation in Russia is currently under international scrutiny due to the recent death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In connection with the Crocus City Hall attack, the FSB has officially requested any countries harbouring those involved to extradite the suspects to Russia, specifically including Ukraine.
For further details, refer to the original report on Jurist.