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IS-Khorasan
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K)
ISIL in Afghanistan
Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)
ISIS Wilayat Khorasan

A widely discussed (and disputed) Hadith speaks of how "black banners will come out of Khorasan" in the end times. Other black-flag prophecies were attributed to the Prophet himself. “If you see the black banners coming from Khorasan,” instructs one, “go to them immediately even if you must crawl over ice because indeed among them is the caliph, al-Mahdi.” These are weak traditions and cannot be verified. But they reflect the Islamic idea of a group of pious men who will defeat the army of the "infidels" before the "end of times." Modern Salafist jihadists believe the end of days is fast approaching.

The black banner has white Arabic text that says "There is only one God and Mohammad is his prophet". Islamic apocalyptic literature has become a central theme for some jihadist groups fighting in the Middle East. The black flag is said to have been the battle flag of the Prophet Muhammad and was carried into battle by many of his companions. The image of the black flag has become a symbol of religious revolt and engagement in battle, or jihad. The 13-minute video The Emergence of Prophecy: The Black Flags of Khorasan was created by the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The video depicts the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a sign of the prophecy's fruition, and summons Muslims to join the battle.

By January 2024 multiple Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP)-linked external operations had been foiled, demonstrating a further expansion of the branch’s ambitions to internationalize and strike enemies located outside of its Afghanistan-Pakistan base. ISKP-connected plots had been disrupted in India, Iran, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Maldives, Qatar, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan. ISKP had successfully conducted attacks inside Iran, and it is likely that more will slip through over time in other countries

MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) on 29 December 2023 published a translation of cover article in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by Al-Azaim Media Foundation, a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), dubs Jews the killers of prophets, accuses them of controlling global financial systems and media, and of promoting polytheism, poverty, socio-political unrest, corruption, injustice, immorality, and extrajudicial murder.

The article, titled, "The Nation Deserving Holocaust The Most," warns that Israelis should not expect to be safe. "[N]o security assurance really lies in the modern weaponries and fortified cities for the Zionists against the upcoming holocaust at the hand of the Muslims, just as the fortification didn't help the Jews of Medina and Khyber against the torment of Allah at the hands of the Companions [Sahaba, of Prophet Muhammad]," it says.

One of ISIS’s most lethal branches, ISIS-Khorasan has killed or injured thousands of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan since its inception in 2015. The branch also has conducted attacks in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and it seeks to conduct operations against the United States and Europe.

Formed in 2015 by members of militant groups—including Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan—who pledged allegiance to ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan aspires to establish a province in ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate by controlling territory in “the Khorasan,” referring to Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, Central Asia, and Iran. The branch primarily fights against the Taliban in Afghanistan while seeking to discredit the governments of neighboring countries, promote sectarian violence, and exploit poor economic conditions and social divisions to attract members. The branch obtains funding from ISIS in Syria and sources in Afghanistan.

Islamic State in the Khorasan Province IS-KP is a transnational Sunni violent extremist group based primarily in Afghanistan. IS-KP adheres to the extreme Salafi jihadist interpretation of Islam promoted by the Islamic State (IS), which seeks to establish a global caliphate and regards all who fail to follow its religious doctrine as apostates and infidels. Also known as:; Islamic State Khorasan; Islamic State–Khorasan; IS Khorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and Syria–Khorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham–Khorasan; Wilayat Khorasan; Daesh Khorasan; Daesh-Khorasan.

The Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K) aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Central Asia; counter Westerners and Shia Muslims. Areas of operation include a stronghold in Nangarhar Province near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and operating in Kunar, Laghman, Jowzjan provinces with pockets of support throughout Afghanistan. Itecruits from among the local population, Central Asian extremists in Afghanistan, and other militant groups, such as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

As a historical region, Khorasan encompasses parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Iran and Bangladesh. Greater Khorasan is a historical region that had wide geographical boundaries. The “Islamic Khorasan” region includes northwestern Afghanistan (such as the city of Herat ) and parts of southern Turkmenistan, in addition to the current Khorasan province in Iran. Greater Khorasan was first established in the 6th century as one of four administrative (military) divisions by the Sassanid Empire , and the extent of the region has varied greatly during its nearly 1,500-year history. In modern times the term has been a source of nostalgia and great nationalism, especially among the Tajiks of Central Asia.

On January 14, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated ISIS-K as a foreign terrorist organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Previously, on September 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of State designated ISIS-K as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, as amended. Therefore, all property and rights of ISIS-K subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and Americans are completely prohibited from engaging in any transactions with ISIS-K. It is a crime to knowingly, attempt or seek to provide material support or resources to ISIS-K.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Leadership

IS-KP maintains a hierarchical leadership structure, governed by senior leadership in the form of a Shura Advisory Council, and led by an emir. IS-KP also utilises commanders at the provincial level and leaders responsible for various functions of IS-KP’s administration, such as logistics. While early leaders largely hailed from the core group of TTP commanders who founded IS-KP, this has since diversified.

Seventh emir: Shahab al-Muhajir (aka Sanaullah Ghafari) Originally affiliated to the Haqqani network, al-Muhajir joined IS-KP following its emergence in Afghanistan and was appointed as the organisation’s seventh emir in June 2020. A communiqué described Muhajir as a senior military leader and one of the participants in guerrilla operations spawned by the Islamic State's Khorasan branch and in planning suicides and complex attacks. Born in Afghanistan in 1994, he is responsible for approving all operations of the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch in Afghanistan and for obtaining funding for its operations. Described by IS as an urban warfare expert, al-Muhajir is credited with driving IS-KP’s urban shift and reinvigorating the organisation following major territorial and leadership losses. Within months of al-Muhajir’s leadership, IS-KP staged a suicide attack on the Nagarhar central prison in Jalalabad, resulting in the release of 1000 inmates including around 280 IS-KP prisoners. One of those prisoners was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, who led IS-KP’s attack on Kabul Airport in August 2021, resulting in the deaths of 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.

Sixth emir: Aslam Farooqi (aka Abdullah Orakzai) Appointed emir in July 2019, Farooqi was previously in charge of IS-KP operations in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency. Captured by Afghanistan security forces in April 2020, Farooqi was one of the IS-KP prisoners freed during the Nagarhar central prison attack. The head of the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate was arrested along with 19 other militants, Afghan officials said 04 April 2020. Abdullah Orakzai aka by Aslam Farooqi, was detained by forces from the National Directorate of Security, the country’s main intelligence agency said in a statement. In January 2022, Pakistan media reported that Farooqi was killed during a shootout in northern Afghanistan.

Fifth emir: Abu Omar al-Khorasani (aka Zia ul-Haq) Initially a spokesperson for IS-KP, Khorasani was appointed as the organisation’s fourth emir in August 2018 following the death of his predecessor. In 2019, Khorasani was reportedly demoted following ISKP setbacks throughout 2018. In May 2020, Khorasani was arrested by Afghan security forces in Kabul.

Fourth emir: Abu Saad Orakzai (aka Abu Saad Erhabi) Originally from the Orakzai agency, Abu Saad Orakzai led IS-KP from July 2017 to August 2018 when he was killed in a drone strike in the Jangal Keli village in Nangarhar.

Third emir: Abu Sayed (aka Abdul Rahman Ghaleb) Taking over as IS-KP leader in April 2017, Abu Sayed’s tenure was short-lived after he was killed in a U.S. drone strike on 11 July 2017.

Second emir: Abdul Hasib (Abdul Haseeb Logari) Initially IS-KP’s deputy leader, Abdul Hasib led IS-KP for nine months until his death during a U.S. raid in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on 27 April 2017.

First emir: Hafiz Saeed Khan A former commander of the TTP, Khan first pledged allegiance to IS in October 2014. Previously responsible for TTP’s operations in Orakazi in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khan possessed access to a wealth of recruitment networks in Pakistan, helping IS-KP secure an early foothold in the strategic Pakistan/Afghanistan border area. The organisation first emerged in October 2014, following a pledge of allegiance made by six former senior Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members to then IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the wake of this pledge, IS formally announced the formation of its ‘Khorasan’ province in January 2015, and appointed Hafiz Saeed Khan as IS-KP’s first emir. Khan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on 26 July 2016.

The Defense Department announced 10 February 2015 the deaths of eight individuals, including a former Taliban commander, killed during precision airstrikes in Afghanistan. Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby told Pentagon reporters the airstrikes were a “reminder,” and emphasized using all available methods to dismantle terrorist groups threatening US, partner and allied interests. “Yesterday, U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducted a precision strike in Helmand province,” he said, “resulting in the death of eight individuals, to include Abdul Rauf Khadim, a former Taliban commander.”

Khadim was a former Guantanamo detainee who was released and went back to the -- to work with the Taliban, He was released in 2007. He was released to Kabul. Khadim was assessed as having decided to swear allegiance to ISIL probably no more than a couple weeks earlier. And he didn't have a whole lot of depth to any network resources or manpower when he did it.

Admiral Kirby noted Khadim, and his associates, were targeted because “we had information that they were planning operations against U.S. and Afghan personnel there in Afghanistan.... If they’re going to threaten our interest, our allies, our partners in Afghanistan, they’re fair game.”

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Strength

The Taliban were Stalinists, and the adherents of the Islamic State Khorasan were Trotskyites, in a manner of speaking. There is no doubt that both were committed Islamists who were violently opposed ot the secularism of the various flavors of Communism. But applying such inapplicable labels may help some Westerners unfamiliar with the varieties of Islamicist thought to understand the conflict between Building a Caliphate in One Country - the Taliban - and spreading Islam to build a global Caliphate - the Islamic State concept [with apologies to Lev Davidovich].

Bin Laden repeatedly argued that Afghanistan had become a model Islamic state under his Taliban hosts and used religious rhetoric to solicit support for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. A top commander in Afghanistan said in 2014 that there was no indication of any connections between ISIL and the Taliban. ISIL in Afghanistan then seemed nascent at best. In fact, it was more aspirational than anything else as of 2015.

Army Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee 12 February 2015 “The possible rise of Daesh -- or ISIL -- is also a new development. Thus far we think the presence of Daesh in Afghanistan represents more of a rebranding of a few marginalized Taliban. But we are still taking this potential threat, with its dangerous rhetoric and ideology, very, very seriously.”

A few Taliban rebranded themselves as ISIL. This was possibly an attempt to attract media attention, solicit greater resources, and increase recruitment. The Taliban networks were well established, and significant ideological and cultural differences existed between the movements. The Taliban had declared that they will not allow ISIL in Afghanistan, but the potential emergence of ISIL sharply focused the ANSF, National Directorate of Security (NDS), and political leadership. All are collaborating closely in order to prevent this threat from expanding.

Additionally, the budding presence of ISIL in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas also offers another opportunity for both countries to work together. As of 2015, the US assessed that there was only a low probability that ISIL can establish a large, credible presence in Afghanistan. This probably misunderestimated the threat.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Membership

ISIS-K recruited and distributed propaganda in many Afghan provinces. The number of IS-KP militants in Afghanistan was estimated in 2023 to include around 4000 to 6000 members, including family members. IS-KP recruits primarily from Pakistan and Afghanistan-based Salafists, and foreign sympathisers. Following territorial losses leading into 2019, IS-KP has shifted its recruitment to focus on disaffected, urban, non-Pashtun youth.

"We think we have significantly decreased the footprint that they have in Afghanistan," he said. The U.S. military estimatef there are between 1,000 and 3,000 IS fighters left in Afghanistan, though Cleveland said the actual number is "probably on the lower end of that." Three months earlier, IS held between six and eight districts, he said. Now it held just two to three. IS fighters have been seen fleeing to the Kunar and Nuristan provinces along Afghanistan's western border with Pakistan, where they are just "trying to survive," Cleveland said.

In March 2016 Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, deputy chief of staff for communications for NATO's Resolute Support Mission estimated that current numbers of Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan are "probably on the lower end" of between 1,000 and 3,000.

The collapse of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq did little to slow down the terror group's branch in Afghanistan. Declassified intelligence suggested IS-Khorasan was growing both in numbers and ambition, boasting as many as 5,000 fighters — nearly five times as many as estimates from 2018 — while turning its focus to bigger and more spectacular attacks. Military officials said the numbers, shared by U.S. Forces-Afghanistan for the May 2019 quarterly report by the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom Sentinel, issued Tuesday, are "low confidence" estimates but that IS-Khorasan has fighters in Kabul, as well as in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces and in other parts of northeastern Afghanistan. More worrisome, according to defense intelligence officials, is that the terror group has been gaining ground, both against the Afghan government and the Taliban, expanding the amount of territory under its control in Kunar province since the start of 2019.

The renewed state of IS in Afghanistan would appear to represent a remarkable turnaround from the terror group's fortunes in April 2017, when the U.S. dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal, a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast, on an IS tunnel system in Nangarhar province. A series of subsequent U.S. strikes killed the then IS-Khorasan emir and his replacement, and cut the estimated number of fighters from 3,000 to 600. Top U.S. military officials insisted IS-Khorasan was being kept in check. "ISIS-K is not growing," Gen. John Nicholson, the outgoing commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in September 2018 before handing over the command to Gen. Scott Miller.

Despite losing key leaders and suffering constant setbacks on the battlefield, IS-Khorasan found a way to maintain its numbers, successfully recruiting disgruntled Taliban fighters as well as jihadis from further afield. IS-Khorasan has benefited from surges of thousands of foreign fighters from Pakistan and Uzbekistan, plus the inflow of hundreds of IS fighters fleeing from Syria. And increasingly, many of IS-Khorasan's recruits are local, with fewer coming from the ranks of disgruntled Taliban fighters. And the group has even taken a page out of IS core's playbook, targeting young men seeking economic opportunity.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Funding

The group relies on external funding; however, they appear to have funding streams within Afghanistan. The struggle for resources has brought ISIS-K into conflict with the Taliban and other groups vying to raise revenue from illegal checkpoints and the trade of illicit goods. ISIS-K continues to draw its members from new recruits in Pakistan and Afghanistan, disaffected TTP fighters, Afghan Taliban, and militants from other violent extremist organizations who believe that associating with or pledging allegiance to ISIS-K will further their interests.

IS-KP’s transfer of funds is heavily reliant on a network of hawalas – an informal method of transferring money – and the use of cryptocurrency. IS-KP utilises several different revenue streams for finance, including a combination of local donations, exploitation of timber and mineral black markets, kidnapping, and extortion. IS-KP also receives financial support from IS.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Links to other terrorist organisations

Command, control, and funding from core ISIS elements in Iraq and Syria are limited. IS-KP remains ideologically aligned with IS and continues to receive support and guidance from IS senior leadership.

Islamic State (ISIS) False Flag ??

In some Muslim circles, it is believed that Israel created ISIS to destroy Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Libya. and that ISIS leaders are Mossad agents. This conspiracy theory notes that ISIS only targets the enemies of America and Israel, claiming that ISIS == Israeli Secret Intelligence Services.

It is widely repeated hat Robin Cook resigned over the illegality of the Iraq invasion in 2003 and in an article in 2005 he confirmed that there is no Al Qaeda only "kharjees along with Mossad, CIA & RAW led and trained mercenary gangs like TTP who pose as Islamic jihadists and create justification for global information war and propaganda to launch a new war against another Muslim country". This appears to be a fabrication. In February 2011, the leader of the Islamic State became Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He had been imprisoned by the US military in 2004 in “Camp Buka” Iraq. After some time he was released, for unknown reasons, despite severe charges. There were claims that Abu Bakr was recruited by agents Central Intelligence Agency, as well as its predecessor An-Nasir Lidinilla Abu Suleiman. In secret documents, published by former US NSA employee Edward Snowden, there was information that Abu Bakr was collaborating with Central Intelligence Agency, British intelligence and Israel.

In July 2014 ran’s English-language daily newspaper, the Tehran Times, ran a front-page story describing the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria’s (ISIS) June offensive in Iraq as part of a U.S.-backed plot to destabilize the region and protect Israel. The story was an English translation of a scoop by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which cited a purported interview with National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden.

According to the article, Snowden had described a joint U.S., British and Israeli effort to “create a terrorist organization capable of centralizing all extremist actions across the world.” The plan, according to IRNA, was code-named Beehive — or in other translations, Hornet’s Nest — and it was devised to protect Israel from security threats by diverting attention to the newly manufactured regional enemy: ISIS.

But on 18 June 2014, Fars News Agency quoted Major General Hassan Firoozabadi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces, saying that ISIS “is an Israel[i] and America[n] movement for the creation of a secure border for the Zionists against the forces of resistance in the region.”

In August 2017 Avinoam Pess reported newspapers in Libya supposedly claimed that the imam of a mosque in the city of Benghazi nicknamed "Abu Hafs" was an Israeli agent who has reached a senior position in the terrorist organization ISIS in the country. According to the Libyans, his investigation revealed that he was an Israeli citizen named "Efraim Binyamin". Abu Hafs is considered a well-known figure in Benghazi when hundreds of fighters attacked him, according to sources in Libya. These sources report the arrest of an Israeli agent in the Libyan city of Benghazi. According to the report, the man is an undercover with a Jewish name who managed to advance until he became a spiritual leader and was called Imam. He infiltrated Libya and reportedly operated in the Benghazi area among the population and operatives of the Islamic State organization. The reports claim that the Israeli, whose name according to the publications is Ephraim Binyamin, controlled an important mosque in the central Libyan city. The Arab media, which extensively reports on the arrest, uses the story to emphasize the accepted propaganda that Israel is behind the murderous terrorist organization. The news has no independent reference in Israel or elsewhere in the world. Varioius news sources were unable to independently verify the claims linking the Daesh commander to the Israeli Mossad.

On 29 June 2021 IRNA reported "US officials, particularly the secretary of state, lack an active mind to help them remember them that Daesh was equipped and supported by themselves in 2012 to fight against Syrian people and Army. Also, the US friends and allies in the region and in Europe, lined up to help the terrorist group to provide security for the Zionist regime of Israel...

"At her memoir, Hard Choices, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has written that Daesh was formed by the United States. This is what the former US President Donald Trump has also repeated several time. Trump had said that Daesh was founded during tenure of his predecessor, President Barack Obama.

"Edward Snowden, an IT systems expert who was formerly working under contract for the US National Security Agency, has announced that the American, British, and Israeli intelligence agencies have had active role in creating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They created ISIS through an operation called Hornet's Nest, Snowden has stressed over and over. He has also revealed several years ago that the terrorist group of Daesh was founded to support Israel.

"In a related development, Obama's administration implemented a secret plan in 2012 to transfer thousands of weapons and billions of dollars to the moderate opposition in Syria. Later, it was found that the so-called moderate opposition were terrorists."

No mention of a “hornet’s nest” plot can be found in Snowden’s leaked trove of U.S. intelligence documents. And Iranian government officials refused to accept the sectarian root of ISIS’s agenda, or that ISIS was able to gain control a third of Iraq’s territory advance in part due to Sunni discontent.

One 2024 proponent of this theory noted "Friendly reminder that ISIS and other terrorist groups were created by the west and israel for two reasons. 1. Propaganda against muslims 2. Gives the US the greenlight to invade muslim countries with no repercussions. After all, most of ISIS's victims were muslims themselves." Another such believer wrote "I don't deny that ISIS was a genius idea by the Zionists to destroy the Middle East, ignite civil wars, and distort Islam. I respect the intelligence of the Zionists, but unfortunately they don't respect our intelligence after their plans were exposed and they are still continuing."

This is part of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US is supporting or working together with ISIS in the Middle East and that ISIS has been supported by the US, British, French and Israeli intelligence services in order to demolish Syria. This message is part of a broader conspiracy theory alleging that the United States has created and supported many jihadi terrorist organisations and controls global terrorism.

The two terrorist bombings in Kerman on 03 January 2024, which were claimed by the terrorist organization ISIS and targeted the popular crowds that were commemorating the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of Hajj Qassem Soleimani, as Zionist commentators hinted at the existence of cooperation between the entity and ISIS, according to a program broadcast 05 January 2024 on Alalam News Network. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Regarding ISIS and its criminal acts that serve the Zionist and American interests, and regarding the implications of the Zionist commentator’s insinuation of Zionist cooperation with ISIS, especially in the Kerman terrorist bombings, Hassan Hijazi, an expert on Israeli affairs from Beirut, confirmed that there are many places in which these criminal organizations served the occupying entity and were playing games. The role of an alternative to the Zionist role, as the Iraqi and Syrian arenas bear witness to this. Hijazi pointed out that there is clear cooperation between them, as there is penetration by the intelligence services of these organizations at the highest levels of their leadership, although some activists or some representatives on the ground may be organized, but these groups are completely consistent with the policies determined by the Zionist side and the American side, and they are linked to the agencies. Intelligence is active in arenas in which the Americans and Zionists want to wreak havoc and send messages through them. For example, these organizations say that they are Islamic jihadist organizations, where are they in relation to the Palestinian issue, and where are they in the war against the Gaza Strip . Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported there were indications that the Israeli regime has masterminded the terrorist attack, considering the comments from a number of Zionist officials right after the explosions. The statement released by Daesh on Thursday was different in several ways from the other statements of the Takfiri terrorist group. Daesh has unprecedentedly used the term “Iran” in its most recent statement, while it had always used “Bilad Fars” (country of Persia) or “Wilayah Khorasan” (Khorasan province) before. Moreover, the Takfiri group had never released the images of the perpetrators of its terrorist attacks with blurring faces before, specifically the suicide bombers slain in the blasts. Thirdly, it is the first time that Daesh has claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack with a delay of 30 hours. The Takfiri group usually records the video of the suicide bombers swearing an oath of allegiance to Daesh and prepares a responsibility claim statement prior to every terrorist attack and releases it right after the operation. Typically, Daesh begins with threats before issuing a fatwa, then carries out the terrorist attack and finally releases the responsibility claim statement immediately afterwards. But in the most recent case in Kerman, the terrorist attack was carried out before a deviant fatwa and threats and a belated statement. The fourth matter that raises doubts about the Israeli regime’s role is that the language and wording of the recent statement were different from the usual style of Daesh, revealing that the terrorist group has not drafted the statement by itself. Some contended that the belated statement had been conclusively drafted by the Zionist regime’s spy service, while Daesh has only undertaken to release it via its channels. Political researcher Hassan Hanizadeh read the scene of official threats and popular demands for revenge as “a necessary warning of revenge,” adding that his country “has previously carried out military operations during the past few years against targets outside the borders, in retaliation for destabilizing its national security, and retribution for those who caused the bloodshed of Iranians.” ". Speaking 06 January 2023 to Al Jazeera Net, Hanizadeh confirmed that “despite the Islamic State (ISIS) claiming responsibility for the Kerman bombings, the Iranian authorities do not pay attention to the statement, and are only thinking about settling scores with the drivers of such terrorist groups,” as he put it, describing Washington. And Tel Aviv are “the most affected by Tehran’s support for Palestinian resistance factions.” When referring to the developments in the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle, and the targeting of a number of symbols and forces of the Axis of Resistance in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Red Sea, the Iranian researcher said, “The Kerman bombings can only be read in the context of the series of assassinations and military operations in the geography of the Axis of Resistance.” Hanizadeh believed that "American political leaders had previously revealed their country's role in forming terrorist groups, led by ISIS," noting that "the ISIS group not only did not carry out any operations against Zionist-Western interests, but did not even condemn the Israeli aggression against Gaza." He concluded that "the security data and information available to his country show tireless efforts made by the United States over the past two years to rehabilitate the ISIS group in the region."

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Operations

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for twin bombings that killed 84 people in Iran at a gathering near the grave in the southern city of Kerman of slain Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani. In a statement on Telegram, the group claimed: "By the grace of God Almighty, and within the campaign “And kill them wherever you find them,” the two martyred brothers (Omar Al-Muwahid) and (Saif Allah Al-Mujahid) - may God Almighty accept them - set out towards a large gathering of polytheist Shiites near the grave of their dead leader “Qassem Soleimani” in the city of (Kerman) in southern Iran. Yesterday, they detonated their explosive belts in the middle of the crowd, killing and wounding more than 300 polytheist Shiites. Praise be to God. Let the polytheist Shiites know that the Mujahideen are waiting for them and their projects, God Almighty willing."

Security sources told Amaq Agency that two Islamic State fighters carried out a double martyrdom attack. The sources added that the martyrdom fighters were able to reach the crowd, which included thousands of Shiites who were performing Shiite rituals nearby. The sources explained that the first martyr detonated his explosive belt among the Shiite crowds, followed by the second martyr detonating his belt about 20 minutes after the first explosion.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had blamed Israel. “I warn the Zionist regime, do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed,” Raisi said in a televised address. Raisi's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, also blamed Israel and the US. Iran had blamed Sunni terror groups like the Islamic State in Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, for previous terror attacks.

Iranian state media reported suicide bombers probably carried out the attacks. The state-run IRNA news agency reported surveillance footage from the route to the commemoration at Kerman's Martyrs Cemetery clearly showed a male suicide bomber detonating explosives. "The cause of the second blast was most likely the same," IRNA reported, quoting what it called an "informed source."

Iran expert at United Against Nuclear Iran, Kasra Aarabi, told DW, "that attack itself certainly has all the hallmarks of ISIS operations in Iran." He said that would suit the government in Tehran. "It is likely that the regime will blame ISIS that will enable the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC to respond," he said, "It also domestically has given the regime a pretext to further clamp down on the Iranian people," Aarabi added.

From 2015 to 2019, IS-KP focused on a strategy of gaining and holding territory. The Islamic State infiltrated into Afghanistan, attempting to step into the Taliban's boots, acknowledged the UN Security Council. The presence of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters in the country was confirmed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The UN envoy to Afghanistan acknowledged that the IS could potentially unite minor Islamist groups in the country under a new command.

“It is UNAMA’s assessment that the group's presence is of concern, but that ISIL's significance is not so much a function of its intrinsic capacities in the area but of its potential to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally,” Nicholas Haysom announced at the UN Security Council 17 March 2015. Still, the IS has not established “firm roots” in the Afghanistan, he noted.

Many areas under IS control used to be under the control of the Taliban. Locals said, however, that the violence the Taliban perpetrated was not as brutal as the methods used by IS. Even in other ways, people said, the Taliban in the area were less restrictive. When IS militants wrested control of the Nangarhar district from the Taliban, they not only closed the girls’ schools, they also shut down many medical clinics.

Islamic State (IS) appeared to be losing its grip in Afghanistan, due in part to a steady aerial bombardment from U.S. and NATO forces and the terror group's failure to win over Afghans themselves. "Nobody really wants Daesh [Islamic State] in the neighborhood," Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, told Pentagon reporters April 14, 2016.

On 23 April 2017 U.S. Forces Afghanistan conducted a strike on an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan tunnel complex in Achin district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, as part of ongoing efforts to defeat ISIS-K in Afghanistan, The strike used a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb dropped from a U.S. aircraft. The strike was designed to minimize the risk to Afghan and U.S. forces conducting clearing operations in the area while maximizing the destruction of ISIS-K fighters and facilities. “As ISIS-K’s losses have mounted, they are using [improvised bombs], bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense,” said Army Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. “This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against ISIS-K.”

By 2018 ISIS-K had suffered setbacks from U.S. CT operations, ANDSF operations, pressure from the Taliban, and from difficulties in gaining local populace support. Despite some losses of territory, fighters, and leadership, ISIS-K remains a threat to coalition forces and retained the ability to conduct HPAs in urban centers, particularly Kabul. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for attacks against Shia minorities and the ANDSF around the country, including increased claimed attacks in Kabul.

Following the loss of most of its territory in early 2019, IS-KP underwent a significant organisational restructure in March 2019, which included a strategic shift towards urban warfare and the consolidation of its operations to focus on Afghanistan and parts of north-western Pakistan. This shift in strategy away from territory control has resulted in a significant escalation of IS-KP’s operations, particularly in Afghanistan, which experienced a 400% rise in IS-KP attacks from 2020 to 2021.

This escalation coincided with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, with IS-KP buoyed by both the reduction in counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s limited experience dealing with urban-counter-insurgency. IS-KP has utilised the February 2020 agreement between the United States (U.S.) and the Taliban to contrast itself to the Taliban. IS-KP projects itself as a globally focused jihadist group committed to rejecting compromise with the West and accusing the Taliban of appealing solely to a narrow nationalistic base. While the Taliban has attempted to position itself within the global system of states, IS-KP commits to a universal Islamic Jihad and seeks to disrupt the global state system.

IS-KP was increasingly focused on undermining the Taliban regime, with attacks targeting Taliban ‘allies’ (including Russia, Pakistan and China) and Western organisations (including the United Nations). IS-KP also continued assaults against civilians and Shia minorities to weaken Taliban legitimacy and shatter the regime’s narrative that it has restored peace and stability. Since December 2022, IS-KP has killed four senior Taliban officials and carried out a suicide attack at the funeral of one of the victims – Deputy Governor of Badakhshan, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi. The Taliban has experienced mixed success in its counter-terrorism efforts against IS-KP, relying on extreme methods with little regard for civilian casualties.

Nonetheless, the relationship between the Afghan Taliban and IS-KP has not been uniformly hostile. Elements of the Haqqani Network, which has been integrated into the Taliban, have been reported to have previously coordinated with IS-KP between 2019 and 2021.

IS-KP fighters frequently conduct attacks against civilian and military targets utilising a combination of weaponry, including firearms and explosives. IS-KP terrorist acts have involved beheadings, violent abductions, and suicide bomb attacks. IS-KP has also celebrated violent attacks against Western targets and frequently published material in support of terrorist acts. Directly or indirectly engaged in preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of terrorist acts.

On 03 January 2024 twin bombings martyred at least 95 [initially re[ported as 103] people and wounded 211 others. The attack was the deadliest to strike Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran. Iran shares with the Afghan government concern about the growth of the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP). Khorasan is an historical region that encompassed northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan and northern Afghanistan. Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided on 29 September 2004 into three separate provinces - Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan.

The attack came during commemorations for the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, in a US drone strike in neighboring Iraq on January 3, 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Paying homage to the memory of the late IRGC commander General Qassem Soleimani, thousands of Iranians converged on the southeastern province of Kerman to express their respect and reverence for his efforts in defeating terrorism in the region. According to reports, the first explosion occurred some 700 meters from the tomb of Martyr Soleimani and the second one about one kilometer away.

Many Iranian suspected Mossad was behind this terror attack. Iranian president Ibrahim Raisi on the explosion: "We warn the Zionist entity - pay a high price for the crime in Kerman we will make you regret" Karmel News reported that a Russian source associated with the Iranian regime claimed that ISIS and local opposition were behind the explosion in Kerman.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller denied that his country had any involvement in the incident. "The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," he said, adding "We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion" either. "We do express our sympathies to the victims and their loved ones who died in this horrific explosion," Miller said.

The following acts can be attributed to IS-KP:

1. 27 March 2023, IS-KP carried out a suicide attack near the Foreign Ministry in Kabul that killed six people and wounded 12 others.
2. 9 March 2023, IS-KP killed three people during an attack in Herat Province, Afghanistan.
3. 12 December 2022, two IS-KP fighters carried out an attack at the Kabul Longan Hotel, killing three people and injuring 18 others. The group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack on Chinese-owned Kabul Longan Hotel in the heart of Kabul, which left three assailants dead and at least two hotel guests injured. Chinese firms, with strong government backing, have tentatively sought to pursue opportunities in exploiting Afghanistan’s vast, undeveloped resource deposits,
4. 4 October 2022, IS-KP launched a suicide attack in front of the Russian embassy in Kabul, killing four people.
5. 2 December 2022, IS-KP attempted to assassinate Pakistani Chargé d’affaires, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, by opening fire from a neighbouring building while Nizamani was taking a walk inside the Pakistani embassy compound.
6. 30 September 2022, IS-KP launched a suicide attack against an education centre for Hazara girls in Western Kabul, killing 54 people.
7. 7 July 2022, Al-Azaim Media Foundation produced an 11-minute, 39-second video in Dari, titled “Flames of Revenge”. The video discusses IS-KP’s ‘revenge’ attack in Kabul against a Sikh temple on 18 June 2022. In the video, IS-KP shows clips of the attack and Sikh community members mourning, and warns that the group will target Hindus and Sikhs.
8. 18 June 2022, IS-KP detonated a car bomb outside a Sikh temple in Kabul, killing two people and injuring three others.
9. 21 April 2022, IS-KP members detonated a bomb at a mosque during prayers in Balkh Province, Afghanistan, killing 50 people and wounding 100 others.
10. 19 April 2022, an IS-KP suicide bomber blew himself up at a high school in Dasht-e Barchi, west Kabul, which killed or injured 20 students and teachers.
11. 10 March 2022, Al-Azaim Media Foundation produced a 14-minute, 29-second video in Pashto, titled “Rafidites Not Safe Anywhere”. Utilising a derogatory name for Shi’ite Muslims, IS-KP states that Shi’ites are not safe anywhere and warns that “we will kill them without any hesitation because they are polytheists and are murderers of Sunnis”.
12. 5 MARCH 2022 Peshawar, Khyberpakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a Shia mosque, killing more than 60 civilians and wounding more than 180.
13. 4 March 2022, IS-KP conducted a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, killing over 56 people and injuring 190 others.
14. 2 November 2021, five IS-KP fighters attacked the Sardar Mohammad Daul Khan military hospital, killing 19 people and wounding 43 others.
15. 26 August 2021, IS-KP were responsible for a bomb blast at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.
16. 14 May 2021, IS-KP bombed a Kabul mosque during Friday prayers as worshippers gathered for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, killing 12 people.
17. 2 AUGUST 2020 Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks Jalalabad Prison, killing 29 people and allowing hundreds of prisoners to escape.
18. 12 MAY 2020 Kabul, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a maternity ward, killing 24 civilians, including newborn babies and their mothers.
19. 18 AUGUST 2019 Kabul, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a wedding reception, killing more than 60 civilians and injuring more than 180.
20. August 2016, the group claimed responsibility for a shooting and suicide bombing at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, that killed 94 people.
21. July 2016 bombing during a peaceful protest in Kabul that killed nearly 80 people and injured 230 others.
22. 18 April 2015 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing Saturday that killed at least 33 people in eastern Afghanistan. Officials say more than 100 other people were wounded in the attack in Jalalabad. President Ghani called the incident "horrific," as he announced Islamic State militants had taken credit. He referred to the group as "Daesh" — an acronym for its name in Arabic. The Taliban had earlier denied responsibility for the bombing, calling it an "evil act." United Nations officials and skeptics in Afghanistan appeared cautious about claims Islamic State militant group was behind the suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan in which 35 people were killed and more than 100 wounded. Even though the terrorist group had not formally acknowledged its presence in Afghanistan, local authorities and media had in recent weeks reported the emergence of pro-Islamic State fighters waving its black flag.

On the basis of these examples, IS-KP is assessed to have directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act. The 7 July 2022 and 10 March 2022 videos are assessed to be IS-KP threats to conduct terrorist acts,

The group has also conducted operations in Bangladesh.

On 20 February 2023 the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-KP) published a book on the Uyghur issue in China, criticising Islamic nations for continued support to Beijing despite recorded abuses on its Muslim minorities. The 117-page long book summarises China’s designs in Afghanistan into 10 objectives from the political, economic and security perspectives. It specifically accuses Iran of spreading its influence in East Turkestan. The group also lashed out at the Hui Muslims for allegedly accepting all rules and regulations imposed by the Chinese government that are being resisted by the Uyghurs.

The IS-KP wants the support of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) as the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, is preventing it from attacking Chinese business and interests. ISKP, a key rival of the Taliban, has increased its attacks in Afghanistan since the latter’s takeover in 2021. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority as well as Chinese-owned and frequented businesses.