Two of the suspects arrested in connection with Friday’s deadly attack in Moscow had traveled freely between Russia and Turkey, from which they left together on a plane on March 2 to return to Russia, a Turkish security source told AFP. .

“The two individuals were free to travel freely between Russia and Turkey in the absence of an arrest warrant against them,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The nationalities of the two individuals were not specified.

The authorities determined that it was him Samsiddin Faridouniwho entered Turkey on February 20 and left for Russia on March 2 from Istanbul airport after staying in a hotel in the metropolis, in the Fatih district, the same source noted.

The source states that the man left his hotel on February 27 and that he posted a message “eight times on social media on February 23 from Aksaray district”, located in Fatih.

The other suspect, according to this official, is Saidakram Rajabalizonda: arriving in Istanbul on January 5th, he immediately lodged in a hotel in Fatih from which he left on January 21st.

“He then left for Moscow on March 2 on the same flight as Faridouni,” the security source said.

“We estimate that these two individuals were radicalized in Russia due to their short stay in Turkey,” this official said.

According to the latest report, the attack on the Crocus concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, has left behind 139 dead and 182 injured.

Four main suspects have been arrested and are in custody. They face life in prison.

Among them, at least one is from Tajikistan, according to Russia.

Another, arrested along with his father and one of his brothers, was born in Tajikistan and has Russian citizenship, according to the Ria Novosti news agency.

147 arrests in Turkey

The Turkish authorities have arrested 147 suspects for links with the Islamic State throughout the Turkish territory, as announced today by the Minister of the Interior, Ali Gerlikaya.

In a post on social media X, the minister wrote that police arrested the suspects in simultaneous operations conducted in 30 provinces.

The suspects were found to be active members of the Islamic State, to have participated in the organization’s armed operations and to have helped finance it, according to the minister’s post.