A week after the attack near Moscow, nine men were arrested in Tajikistan, according to Russian state media. The suspects are said to have had contact with the suspected assassins.
According to media reports, there were also arrests in the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan in connection with the terrorist attack near Moscow. Nine men were arrested in a suburb of the capital Dushanbe, the Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported.
The suspects are said to have had contact with the attackers and the terrorist group “Islamic State” (IS). The militia claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the report, Russian forces were also involved in the arrest. Ria Novosti cited security circles.
Cooperation in the fight against terrorism
More than 140 people were killed in the attack on a concert hall last Friday evening. According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Tajik colleague Emomali Rakhmon agreed on closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism during a telephone conversation.
Rahmon condemned the attack and said terror has no nationality and no religion. Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan, is considered a refuge for Islamist terrorists.
Four suspected perpetrators in custody
Shortly after the crime, eleven people were arrested – including four men from Tajikistan who, according to investigators, allegedly committed the crime. On Thursday, Russian investigators announced the arrest of another person suspected of having helped finance the attack. There were also other arrests and arrest warrants.
Putin had confirmed that Islamists were said to have carried out the terrorist attack, but also spoke of a lead to Ukraine. The men were expected there after the crime, he said. He did not provide any evidence of this. Ukraine denies involvement in the attack.