- Frank Gardner
- BBC defense reporter
Image source,AFP
The Islamic militant group is considered to be the planner of a series of major attacks in recent years. This is the scene after the attack on a wedding in Kabul in 2019.
On August 26, the attack on the airport in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least 90 people, including 13 American soldiers and many civilians.
IS-K, a branch of the “Islamic State” (IS) organization in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the incident.
Before the explosion, Western governments had repeatedly warned that IS-K attacks are likely to occur.
Who is IS-K?
The full name of IS-K is “Islamic State Khorasan” (Islamic State Khorasan), which is a regional branch of the “Islamic State” organization.
It is the most extreme and violent of all jihadist armed groups in Afghanistan.
IS-K was established in January 2015, at the peak of the rapid expansion of the “Islamic State” (IS) in Iraq and Syria. Later, this self-styled Caliphate was defeated by the international army.
IS-K’s members are mainly jihadists from Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the organization has major differences with the Taliban. They accuse the Taliban of abandoning jihad and battlefields and support a negotiated peaceful settlement.
How many members does IS-K have?
In its heyday, the organization had approximately 3,000 fighters.
However, conflicts with US and Afghan security forces and the Taliban have led to a significant reduction in the organization’s personnel.
What attacks did IS-K launch?
IS-K targets the Afghan security forces, Afghan politicians and government departments, the Taliban, religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Sikhs, US and NATO forces, and international agencies including aid organizations.
It also claimed that there was an attack in Iran in September 2018.
The organization has been accused of being the culprit in some of the most serious attacks in recent years. Their targets include girls’ schools, hospitals, and even maternity wards. Innocent people including pregnant women, babies and nurses were shot dead.
Unlike the Taliban, whose interests are limited to Afghanistan, IS-K is part of the global IS network, doing its best to seek attacks on Western, international, and humanitarian targets.
Where is the base of IS-K?
IS-K’s base is in Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan, close to the drug and human smuggling routes in and out of Pakistan.
Although most of its activities were in Nangarhar and Kabul, it also claimed to have carried out attacks in the provinces of Kunar, Juzjan, Paktia, Kunduz and Herat.
Is IS-K connected with the Taliban?
IS-K has contact with the Taliban through the “Haqqani network”. The “Haqqani Network” is regarded as an important but relatively independent armed organization under the Taliban.
According to the researchers, there is a strong connection between IS-K and the Haqqani network, and the Haqqani network has close ties with the Taliban.
Image source,Getty Images
Isis-K is based in Nangarhar, the eastern province of Afghanistan, which is close to the drug and human smuggling routes in and out of Pakistan.
The person in charge of the operation of the organization in Kabul is Khalil Haqqani. He was arrested by the United States with a reward of $5 million and is one of the most wanted terrorists in the United States.
Dr. Sajjan Gohel of the Asia Pacific Foundation has been monitoring the militant network in Afghanistan for many years.
He said, “Several major attacks between 2019 and 2021 were conspired by IS-K, the Taliban’s Haqqani network, and other terrorist organizations based in Pakistan.”
When the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, IS-K released a large number of prisoners from the national prison (Pul-e-Charki) in the capital Kabul, including IS and al-Qaeda militants. These people are now at large.
Why does IS-K challenge the Taliban?
IS-K has a major disagreement with the Taliban, accusing the Taliban of abandoning jihad and battlefields, and chose to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Afghan issue in a “luxury hotel” in Doha, Qatar.
IS-K considers Taliban members to be “apostates”, and according to their interpretation of Islamic law, the elimination of the Taliban is completely legal and reasonable.
Both the Taliban itself and Western intelligence agencies have determined that IS militants are now a major security challenge for the upcoming Taliban government.