Nine individuals have been detained by Tajikistan's state security service on suspicion of having contact with the perpetrators of the recent attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that claimed the lives of 144 people. According to reports from Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the detainees are residents of the Vakhdat district and are believed to have ties to the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22.
Authorities in Tajikistan, in collaboration with Russian security forces, carried out the operation to apprehend the suspects. The detainees are also under suspicion of having connections with the Islamic State group, as per RIA Novosti.
Russia's Investigative Committee announced the detention of another suspect linked to the concert hall attack, on allegations of involvement in financing the assault. However, details regarding the identity and actions of this suspect were not disclosed.
Previously, 11 suspects, including four individuals accused of carrying out the attack, had been arrested. The four suspects, identified as Tajik nationals, appeared in a Moscow court on terrorism charges and displayed signs of severe physical abuse during the proceedings.
A faction of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the massacre. Despite this, Russian officials, led by President Vladimir Putin, have insinuated, without presenting concrete evidence, that Ukraine and Western powers played a role in the attack.
The Investigative Committee stated that there is evidence indicating that the attackers received substantial sums of money and cryptocurrency from Ukraine for the planning of the crime. Ukrainian authorities have vehemently denied any involvement, asserting that Moscow is using these allegations as a pretext to escalate hostilities in Ukraine.
The death toll from the concert hall attack has risen to 144, following the passing of a severely injured victim in a hospital on Friday, as confirmed by Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
