‘Radical Islamists’ behind Moscow concert hall attack: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin says for the first time that “radical Islamists” were behind last week’s attack on a concert hall outside Moscow but suggests Ukraine was also somehow involved.

Eleven people have been detained in connection with Friday’s attack, which saw camouflaged gunmen storm into Crocus City Hall, open fire on concert-goers and set the building ablaze, killing at least 139 people.

“We know that the crime was committed by the hands of radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries,” Putin said in a televised meeting on Monday.

“This atrocity may be just a link in a whole series of attempts by those who have been at war with our country since 2014 with the hands of the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime,” he said, referring to Ukraine.

“Of course, it is necessary to answer the question, ‘Why after committing the crime the terrorists tried to go to Ukraine?’ Who was waiting for them there?” Putin asked.

Putin didn’t mention the affiliate of ISIL (ISIS) that claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Islamic State in Khorasan Province has said several times since Friday that it was responsible, and ISIL-affiliated media channels have published graphic videos of the gunmen during the attack.

After the ISIL affiliate claimed responsibility, United States intelligence backed up its claims. French President Emmanuel Macron said France has intelligence pointing to “an ISIL entity” as responsible.

Earlier on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to assign blame, urging reporters to wait for the results of the investigation in Russia.

He also refused to comment on reports that the US warned authorities in Moscow on March 7 about a possible attack, saying any such intelligence is confidential.