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Russia Today
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Moscow concert hall massacre carried out ‘in the interest' of Ukraine
Last year's terrorist attack on a concert hall outside Moscow, which killed nearly 150 people, was intended to destabilize Russia to Ukraine's benefit, Russia's Investigative Committee (Sledkom) said on Monday, marking the conclusion of its criminal investigation. On March 22, 2024, four gunmen opened fire inside the Crocus City Hall concert venue and set the building ablaze, killing 149 people and injuring 609 others. One person remains missing. According to Sledkom, all of the attackers were detained after fleeing the scene and attempting to reach Ukraine by car. All 19 individuals charged in connection with the attack are ethnic Tajiks. The four alleged gunmen – Dalerdhzon Mirzoyev, Saidokrami Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Faizov – are citizens of Tajikistan. Although the Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), a regional offshoot of the Islamic State jihadist group, claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested at the time that Ukraine may have played a role. Kiev has denied any involvement. 'This heinous crime was planned and carried out in the interest of Ukraine's leadership, with the goal of destabilizing the political situation in our country,' Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said. She confirmed that the accused are members of ISIS-K. Petrenko added that some of the suspects received training abroad and had also planned to attack 'an entertainment venue' in the city of Kaspiysk, located in the Muslim-majority Russian republic of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea. Russia has experienced a recent surge in Islamist terrorism, including a June 2024 attack on several synagogues and Christian churches in Derbent, Dagestan, which left 27 people dead.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.S. has to have relationship with Pakistan, India: American general
The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, a top U.S. general has said, noting that it cannot be a 'binary switch' where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi. U.S. Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), made the comments during a testimony before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). 'We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,' Gen. Kurilla said. 'We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.' 'ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K — they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border,' he said at the full Committee Hearing on 'U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.' 'Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals.' He said they extradited ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as 'Jafar', to face charges for his role in the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 United States military service members and about 160 civilians. Gen. Kurilla added that he was the first person Pakistan's then Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir had called and had said 'I've caught him. I'm willing to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President'.' 'So we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we're providing them, go after them, using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS-K. 'The ISIS-K terrorists are continuing to move around and sometimes they'll try and go back into Afghanistan…. ... for the most part right now, they're hanging out right in that border area of Pakistan,' he added. Pakistan is 'in an active counterterrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world', the top general added. Gen. Kurilla's comments came days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the U.S. to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Is this not a diplomatic setback, asks Congress The Congress on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) asked what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to say about the U.S. general's comment and whether it is not a 'diplomatic setback'. The party also cited a media report, which claimed that Gen. Munir is scheduled to visit Washington D.C., for the U.S. Army Day celebrations, and said this is 'another huge diplomatic setback for India'. Sharing a media report on Gen. Kurilla's remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, 'The U.S. Central Command Chief has just described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism'.' 'What do our PM and his cheerleaders have to say about this? Is this not a diplomatic setback?' Mr. Ramesh said on X. In another post, Mr. Ramesh shared a media report which claimed that Gen. Munir is scheduled to visit Washington D.C., for the U.S. Army Day celebrations on June 14, 2025. 'This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India,' Mr. Ramesh said.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US has to have relationship with Pakistan, India: American general
General Michael Kurilla emphasized the necessity of the United States maintaining relationships with both Pakistan and India, dismissing the notion of an exclusive alliance. He highlighted Pakistan's crucial role in counterterrorism efforts, particularly against ISIS Khorasan, citing instances of intelligence sharing and the extradition of key ISIS-K operatives. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, a top US general has said, noting that it cannot be a "binary switch" where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Army General Michael Kurilla , Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), made the comments during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday."We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India," Kurilla said. "We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has." ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K - they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border," he said at the full Committee Hearing on 'US Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.'"Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals."He said they extradited ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as "Jafar," to face charges for his role in the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 United States military service members and about 160 added that he was the first person Pakistan's then Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir had called and had said 'I've caught him. I'm willing to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President'.""So we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we're providing them, go after them, using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS-K""The ISIS-K terrorists are continuing to move around and sometimes they'll try and go back into Afghanistan.... ... for the most part right now, they're hanging out right in that border area of Pakistan," he is "in an active counterterrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world," the top general comments came days after an all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation visited the US to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
