Russia Ragukan US Claims About ISIS Dalang Behind Attacks That Killed 137 People

The Corcus City Hall area near the Moscow capital where the attack was held is claimed to be masterminded by ISIS/screenshot of IST

JAKARTA - Russia doubts the United States' (US) statement about the Islamic State militant group being responsible for the attack on the Crocus City Hall, near the capital Moscow.

Friday, March 23 night's attack left 137 people dead. Four people are now charged with terrorism.

The US previously accused ISIS of being the mastermind behind a brutal shooting attack accompanied by an explosion at the concert building before the Picnic band took stage.

But President Vladimir Putin has not publicly mentioned the Islamist militant group is linked to the attackers, which he said he was trying to flee to Ukraine.

Putin said several people in Ukraine were ready to dispel gunmen across the border. Ukraine denied involvement in the attack and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Putin of trying to divert the blame for the concert building attack by referring to Ukraine.

Juru bicara Kementerian Luar Negeri Rusia, Maria Zakharova, mempertanyakan pernyataan AS soal ISIS di balik serangan tersebut.

"Getting a question to the White House: Are you sure it's ISIS? Can you think about it again?" Zakharova said in an article for the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper quoted by Reuters, Monday, March 25.

Zakharova said the United States was spreading the ghost' version of ISIS to cover up the region' in Kyiv and reminded readers of Washington's support for mujahideen' fighters who fought Soviet forces in the 1980s.