Tajikistan’s state security service has detained nine individuals suspected of having contact with the perpetrators of last week’s attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall by gunmen.
The detainees, residents of the Vakhdat district, were apprehended for their alleged connection to the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22. Russian security forces were reportedly involved in the operation to detain these suspects.
Previously, Russian officials had announced the arrest of 11 suspects within the country, including four individuals believed to have carried out the attack. These four, identified as Tajik nationals, faced terrorism charges in a Moscow court on Sunday, displaying signs of severe beatings during the hearing.
Additionally, Russia’s Investigative Committee revealed the detention of another suspect on Thursday linked to the financing of the attack on Crocus City Hall. However, details about this suspect’s identity and specific involvement were not disclosed.
While a faction of ISIL claimed responsibility for the massacre, Russian authorities, led by President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly asserted allegations of Ukrainian and Western involvement in the attack. This claim has not been substantiated publicly.
Recent reports indicate that Russia’s investigative committee possesses undisclosed evidence linking funds, received in both cash and cryptocurrency from Ukrainian sources, to the perpetrators of the attack. Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied these allegations, accusing Moscow of using them as a pretext to escalate hostilities in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the concert hall attack has risen to 144, with additional casualties reported, including a severely injured victim who succumbed to injuries in a hospital on Friday, as confirmed by Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
(Agency inputs)