US Embassy Warns of 'Imminent' Moscow Attack

The US Embassy in Russia warned of an "imminent" attack in Moscow on Thursday, hours after Russia's intelligence agency claimed to have thwarted an attempted attack on a synagogue in the capital.

• The warning: "The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and US citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours," according to the alert.

• The incident: Hours earlier, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it foiled an attack by the Islamic State cell ISIS-Khorasan. The cell operating in Russia's Kaluga region "was preparing to attack the congregants of a synagogue using firearms" when its members were "neutralized," the FSB said, per Reuters, adding firearms, ammunition, and "an improvised explosive device" was seized. Russian media aired an FSB video that "appeared to show two dead bodies inside a house," per AFP.
• A connection?: Though the timing is suspicious, it's unclear if the statements are linked. It's also unclear what reports the embassy was referring to, per the Moscow Times. Reuters notes the embassy has repeatedly urged all Americans to leave Russia amid fears of unwarranted arrest and harassment.

(More Moscow stories.)