ISIS-K terror group claims responsibility for deadly Moscow concert hall attack
Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, cautioned on Sunday that ISIS-K terrorists might attempt to exploit the U.S. southern border to launch an attack similar to the deadly one claimed by the group in Moscow on Friday.
Rubio, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that Americans “should be very concerned” about the potential threat of ISIS-K after FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed to him that the terror group has its human trafficking network.
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Rubio emphasized, “It’s common sense that if they operate a human trafficking network, they would likely exploit it to infiltrate operatives into the United States. While I’m not suggesting an immediate threat, the border situation coupled with this network poses a danger to the U.S.”
He continued, “If ISIS-K could attack Moscow, they would undoubtedly attempt it in the United States. That’s their intent.”
On Friday, more than 130 people lost their lives and at least 154 others sustained injuries during an attack at a concert hall in suburban Moscow. Russian authorities have reported the apprehension of 11 suspects believed to be connected to the incident.
The Islamic State group, aka ISIS, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in a statement on its affiliated social media channels. The intelligence community said it believes the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan called Islamic State Khorasan, or “ISIS-K” as it is known, carried out the attack, a U.S. official told US Newzs.
ISIS-K, or Islamic State Khorasan, is a designated terrorist organization responsible for numerous attacks, including the killing of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Rubio said that since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the terror group can now operate openly despite opposition from the Taliban, which he says doesn’t “have the capability” to take them on.
Rubio also says that ISIS-K’s aspirations go beyond infiltrating Iran and Russia.
“They would love to carry out an attack similar to what they did in Moscow, right here within the United States,” the senator remarked. “This is something we need to remain extremely vigilant about, especially considering that 9 million people have crossed our border in the last three years.”