Macron says ISIS's Wilayat Khorasan wing was preparing terrorist attacks in France

A cell of the Wilayat Khorasan terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for the bloody attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow Region, has previously attempted several terrorist attacks in France, President Emmanuel Macron said.

"In recent months, this group has made several attempts on our territory," he said on the sidelines of a visit to French Guiana on Monday, 25 March, DW reports.

Macron did not provide details on when and how these attempts were made, as well as how many there were. There have also been no public reports of terrorist attacks in France recently. However, the day after the attack on Crocus, it was reported that the terrorist threat level in France had been raised to the maximum.

The French president warned against any "instrumentalisation" or distortion of what happened in Crocus and said that he had offered Russia "enhanced cooperation" in the fight against terrorism, taking into account the information available to the French security services.

Asked whether he would speak directly with the Russian president, Macron said that contacts would be made at the "technical and ministerial" level first.

The German government also assumes that the attack on Crocus City Hall was carried out by militants from the Afghanistan-based ISIS unit. The Wilayat Khorasan group has repeatedly carried out attacks outside Afghanistan. It has long been under surveillance by Western and Russian intelligence services.

"This group is now the greatest threat to Germany," said German Interior Minister Nancy Feser.

Vladimir Putin has not yet commented on ISIS's claim of responsibility for the attack in the Crocus, instead linking the attack to Ukraine. The government in Kyiv has denied any involvement in the attack on the Crocus.

The attack on the Crocus in Krasnogorsk near Moscow took place on the evening of 22 March before a performance by the band Picnic. Armed men broke into the building and opened fire with assault rifles, several explosions occurred, and a fire broke out.

According to the latest reports, 137 people, including three children, were killed in the attack. Sixty-two bodies have been identified, and DNA tests are needed to identify the rest. A total of 180 people are listed as injured.

The FSB reported that 11 people were detained in the case, including four direct perpetrators. The defendants are Tajik citizens Dalerjon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Shamsiddin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Faizov. The Basmanny court arrested them until 22 May.

Background. As a reminder, Reuters explained why ISIS staged a terrorist attack in a concert hall near Moscow.