Türkiye has supplied Russia with the intelligence that helped Moscow thwart a second attack planned by Daesh terrorists, according to reports in Turkish media citing security sources.
The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) warned the Kremlin that Daesh was plotting another attack targeting a crowded shopping mall after its attack at a Moscow concert hall Moscow on March 22 that left 144 people dead and 360 others injured, Turkish private broadcaster NTV reported Tuesday.
After initially claiming Ukrainian involvement, a top Russian security official confirmed last month it was Daesh Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) that carried out the terrorist attack in Moscow, corroborating findings from Türkiye at the time.
Ankara has been on high alert against Daesh, which has been marked a terrorist group since 2013, after two of its gunmen shot dead a man during Sunday Mass at an Istanbul church in late January.
MIT discovered Daesh’s plot for a second attack in Russia from the testimonies of Daesh-K members caught in operations following the church shooting.
In the aftermath of the March attack, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan assured Russian President Vladimir Putin Türkiye was prepared to cooperate with Moscow against terrorism and said, "The attack demonstrated the need to end the crises in the region peacefully as soon as possible."
According to Turkish security sources, after being defeated in Syria and Iraq, Daesh-K shifted a portion of its operations to Afghanistan and Tajikistan, where the group is trying to cultivate new recruits.
Two of the four gunmen who attacked the Moscow concert hall – now facing life in Russian prisons – were of Tajikistan origin.
Some reports on Russian media outlets claimed at the time that the terrorists came to Russia from Türkiye, but Turkish security sources said that the perpetrators had been residing in Moscow for a long period and had to visit another country and chose Türkiye due to its proximity to extend their stay in Russia.
Sources dismissed the claims that the two terrorists of Tajikistan origin were radicalized in Türkiye and instead said they were radicalized in Russia, stressing that the short period they spent in Türkiye wouldn’t be enough for their radicalization.
Daesh-K is known to be mostly active in Afghanistan and surrounding regions but it also operates its network in Türkiye, looking for new "methods" and recruiting more foreign members for its activities after constant counterterrorism operations became a "challenge," security sources say.
MIT has previously thwarted the terrorist group's efforts for recruitment, obtaining funds and logistics support after an operation in the aftermath of the church shooting.
Daesh remains the second biggest threat of terrorism for Türkiye, which faces security risks from multiple terrorist groups.
In December last year, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects over alleged links with Daesh, who were planning attacks on churches and synagogues, as well as the Iraqi Embassy.
Turkish airstrikes also target hideouts of Daesh in northern Iraq and Syria near the Turkish border.
