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While the attack by ISIS-K in Russia on Friday was a dramatic escalation, experts said the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years.
The United States has intelligence that corroborates the ISIS group's claim of responsibility for the mass attack at a concert hall near Moscow on Friday, a US official told Reuters .
What is ISIS' branch in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, and what are its motives for attacking Russia?
Islamic State Khorasan, named after an old term for the region that included parts of Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, emerged on the scene in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014 and quickly made a name for itself for extreme brutality.
Although it is one of the most active regional branches of ISIS, ISIS-K has faced declining membership since peaking in 2018. The Taliban and US forces have inflicted heavy losses on it.
The United States has said its ability to gather intelligence about extremist groups in Afghanistan such as ISIS-K has diminished since the withdrawal of US troops from the country in 2021.
ISIS-K has a history of attacks, including some against mosques, inside and outside Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, the US provided communications confirming the news that the group carried out the twin bombings in Iran that killed around 100 people.
In September 2022, ISIS-K militants claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing at the Russian embassy in Kabul.
The group was responsible for an attack on Kabul International Airport in 2021 that left 13 US soldiers and many civilians dead during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, the top US general in the Middle East said ISIS-K could attack US and Western interests outside Afghanistan "within six months and with little or no warning".
Why would ISIS-K attack Russia?
While the attack by ISIS-K in Russia on Friday was a dramatic escalation, experts said the group has opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent years.
"ISIS-K has been obsessed with Russia for the past two years, often criticizing Putin in its propaganda," said Colin Clarke of the Washington-based Soufan Center research group .
Michael Kugelman of the Washington-based Wilston Center said ISIS-K "views Russia as complicit in activities that regularly oppress Muslims."
He added that the group also has in its ranks as members a number of militants from Central Asia, who have their own grievances against Moscow.
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