Islamic State terrorists who killed 137 in Russia had tried to attack France

France President, Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the gunmen who killed 137 people in a concert hall outside Moscow were part of an Islamist group that was behind foiled attempts to attack France over the last few months.

According to Macron, it explains why the French government on Sunday, March 24 increased the security alert to its highest level.

Russia, which has challenged claims by the United States that the Islamic State militant group orchestrated Friday’s attack, suggested on Monday, March 25 that Ukraine was to blame for the attacks which Macron said was “cynical and counterproductive“.

“This attack was claimed by Islamic State,” Macron said, “and the information available to us, to our (intelligence) services as well as to our main partners, indicates indeed that it was an entity of the Islamic State which instigated this attack.

“This group has attempted several times to hit France,” he added, referring to Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan, which is known as ISIS-Khorasan or ISIS-K. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday’s Moscow attack.

France has been hit by a series of Islamist attacks over the past decade, the worst of which, in 2015, targeted the Bataclan concert hall and cafes and bars in Paris.