The US Embassy in Russia has urged US citizens to avoid large gatherings in Moscow, amid reports that extremists have imminent plans to launch an attack in the Russian capital.
The warning came hours after Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a gun attack on a synagogue in Moscow carried out by a cell of Afghanistan's self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), but it was not. It is not known whether the attack was linked to the embassy alert.
When attacked, the militants offered resistance, but were eventually “neutralized” by Russian special forces. “Firearms, ammunition and components to make an improvised explosive device were found and seized,” the FSB said.
The US embassy, which has repeatedly called on all US citizens to leave Russia immediately in recent months, did not provide further details on the nature of the threat, but advised people to avoid crowds and be aware of their surroundings.
“The embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have immediate plans to target large gatherings, such as concerts, in Moscow, and U.S. citizens should avoid large gatherings for the next 48 hours,” a note posted on its website said. site.
Regarding the attempted attack, the FSB said a self-proclaimed Islamic State cell was operating in the Russian region of Kaluga as part of Daesh's Afghan branch, known as ISIS-K, and intended to carry it out. A caliphate exists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran. The group first emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and has a reputation for extreme brutality.
The war in Ukraine since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis has fueled a deep crisis in Russia's relations with the West. Putin has warned that the West risks provoking a nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine.
The Kremlin says relations with the US have never been worse, and that the Americans are fighting Russia and supporting Ukraine with money, weapons and information.
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