On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron stated that the assailants responsible for the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 137 individuals at a concert hall near Moscow were affiliated with an Islamic State branch.

He further revealed that this group had been involved in thwarted attempts to carry out attacks in France in recent months.

In response to this revelation, Macron, alongside Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, announced that the French government had elevated the country’s security alert to its highest level.

As a precautionary measure, additional soldiers will be deployed and prepared to patrol critical locations, including educational institutions. Islamic State has asserted responsibility for the attack in Moscow on Friday.

Contrary to assertions made by the United States regarding the involvement of the Islamic State militant group in the Moscow shooting, Reuters reported.

Russia has persisted in suggesting that Ukraine bears responsibility. Macron condemned this narrative as “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 and carried out this attack.”

Written by B.C. Begley