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US to intensify attacks on IS-K

General McKenzie said that the Taliban did not help themselves by releasing one thousand ISIS-K affiliates from Afghanistan’s jail following their takeover in August last year….reports Asian Lite News

General Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday (local time) said that the US will ramp up attacks on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) in summer as they are re-constituting itself and will be able to conduct attacks out of Afghanistan in 12 to 18 months.

“We are coming out of the winter; traditionally this would now begin the fighting season,” McKenzie said. “It is my expectation that ISIS-K attacks will ramp up in Afghanistan as we go into the summer,” said McKenzie in his final appearance before Senate Panel, reported Tolo News.

The US CENTCOM commander added, though the Taliban have been suppressing the terror groups across Afghanistan but warned that ISIS-K will ramp up its attacks in the summer even in Kabul, reported Khaama Press.

McKenzie said that the Taliban did not help themselves by releasing one thousand ISIS-K affiliates from Afghanistan’s jail following their takeover in August last year.

The US General’s concern over ISIS-K in Afghanistan comes as the de facto authorities in Kabul deny the terror group to be a threat to Afghanistan or other countries from Afghanistan.

Political analysts believe that the Taliban must make plans to tackle ISIS-K, reported Tolo News.

“If the Islamic Emirate wants to have the ability to counter ISIS-K and other groups, it must have the intelligence and operational plans,” said Sadeq Shinwari, a military veteran.

The Taliban denied McKenzie’s remarks as baseless.

“There are no documents to prove these allegations. The Islamic Emirate has full control all over the country and will not allow anyone to pose insecurity in the country,” said Bilal Karimi, Deputy spokesman for the Taliban.

Earlier, the UN Security Council said in a report that the number of ISIS-K fighters has doubled from 2,000 to 4,000 in Afghanistan. (ANI)

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Islamic State expanding footprint in Pakistan

Experts believe IS-K militants have moved from their bases in Afghanistan and established cells in major Pakistani cities…reports Asian Lite News

The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) is now shifting its war to neighbouring Pakistan as it comes under mounting pressure from the Taliban in Afghanistan, which has waged a fierce war against IS-K militants since seizing power in August last year, RFE/RL reported.

IS-K has claimed responsibility for a string of high-profile attacks in Pakistan, underscoring the growing threat it poses to the predominately Muslim nation of some 220 million people.

In the deadliest attack, an IS-K suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shiite mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar on March 4, killing at least 64 people and wounding scores of others. It was the most lethal attack in Pakistan in nearly four years.

Since it first emerged in 2015, Islamic State’s local affiliate in Afghanistan has focused its violent campaign within that country, fighting against Afghan and foreign forces as well as the Taliban, a rival militant group.

Experts believe IS-K militants have moved from their bases in Afghanistan and established cells in major Pakistani cities, RFE/RL reported.

The IS-K assaults have provoked fear and alarm in Pakistan, which has also witnessed a dramatic surge in attacks by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a rival extremist group that has close ties with the Afghan Taliban.

IS-K has already carried out five attacks this year. On March 8, IS-K claimed responsibility for a roadside bomb that killed five members of the security forces and wounded 28 people others in southwestern Pakistan.

The growing attacks prompted Moazzam Jah Ansari, the police chief in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to declare IS-K a “bigger threat to peace and security in the province compared to the TTP”.

Many IS-K fighters are former members of the TTP, which was thrown into disarray and driven out of its bases in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt by a massive military offensive in 2014.

But the TTP soon found itself fighting turf wars with the Afghan Taliban. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the rivalry has intensified.

The Afghan militants have waged a nationwide hunt for IS-K members and even targeted the country’s small Salafi minority to curb alleged support for the group from among its members.

Underscoring the rivalry, the Afghan Taliban condemned IS-K’s deadly attack in Peshawar. The TTP, meanwhile, said that such attacks do not align with its jihad, or holy war, in Pakistan.

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Taliban in fear of Islamic State?

Islamic State

Member States estimated that, if Afghanistan descends into chaos, some Afghan and foreign extremists may shift allegiances to ISIL-K…writes SANJEEV SHARMA

The Taliban views ISIL-K as its primary kinetic threat, as the group aims to position itself as the chief rejectionist force in Afghanistan, with a wider regional agenda threatening neighbouring Central and South Asian countries, as per a UN report.

Member States estimated that, if Afghanistan descends into chaos, some Afghan and foreign extremists may shift allegiances to ISIL-K, which continues to be led by Sanaullah Ghafari (alias Shahab alMuhajir), an Afghan national.

Aslam Farooqi, a former ISIL-K leader, escaped from prison and has subsequently rejoined the group in a senior role. The former leader of ISIL-K, Abu Omar al-Khorasani, was killed by the Taliban in August, shortly after it took control of the prison in which he was being held.

Member States assess that the strength of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan (ISIL-K) has now risen from earlier estimates of 2,200 to approaching 4,000, following the release of several thousand prisoners. One Member State assessed that up to half of ISIL-K is composed of foreign terrorist fighters. Although the group controls limited territory in eastern Afghanistan, it is capable of conducting high-profile and complex attacks, such as the 27 August bombing at Kabul airport, in which more than 180 people were killed, and several subsequent attacks.

Central Asian terrorist groups Islamic Jihad Group (IJG), Khatiba Imam al-Bukhari (KIB) and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) which actively participated in fighting alongside the Taliban, are now experiencing greater freedom of movement in the country.

Central Asian embassies based in Afghanistan have observed with concern that several leaders of those groups have travelled freely to Kabul. IJG, led by Ilimbek Mamatov, a Kyrgyz national, and his deputy, Amsattor Atabaev of Tajikistan, is assessed to be the most combat-ready Central Asian group in Afghanistan.

It operates primarily in Badakhshan, Baghlan and Kunduz Provinces. KIB, led by Dilshod Dekhanov, a Tajik national, is currently located in the Bala Murghab district of Badghis Province. The group’s strength has increased through the recruitment of local Afghans.

In September, Mamatov and Dekhanov separately visited Kabul. Each leader lobbied for support from the Taliban to unify the Central Asian groups under their respective leadership, in recognition of their contributions to the Taliban victory. The Taliban reportedly rejected the proposals, preferring to incorporate the groups as distinct military units within the newly established Taliban army, the UN report said.

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Former IS-K chief Aslam Farooqi killed in Afghanistan

A senior IS-K official from Orakzai said the body of the militant commander will be shifted to his hometown by Tuesday….reports Asian Lite News

The former chief of militant outfit Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K), Aslam Farooqi, was killed during a shootout in northern Afghanistan, Express Tribune reported.

There are conflicting reports about the death of the militant commander on Sunday.

Reportedly, the militant leader, who hailed from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district, was killed during an investigation against organised kidnappers and criminal mafia. The investigation resulted in a clash and Farooqi, along with his aides, was killed as a result, the report said.

However, sources suggest that the IS-K leader was killed as a result of an internal dispute within the militant organisation also known as Daesh.

A senior IS-K official from Orakzai said the body of the militant commander will be shifted to his hometown by Tuesday.

Farooqi had made a deal with the Afghan forces during the government of then President Ashraf Ghani after the fall of the IS-K in Nangarhar in 2020. He was later replaced as the head of IS-K and Shahab Mahajer took over the militant faction.

This is the second high-profile militant commander getting killed during this month.

A week earlier, Muhammad Khurassani, the operational commander and spokesperson for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was killed in Nangarhar province.

Aged between 48 and 50, Khorasani’s real name was Khalid Balti. At the time of his killing, he was not just the TTP’s operational commander, but also its spokesperson.

Hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan, Khurassani received his initial education from his native town. In 2007, he joined the Tehreek Nifaze Shariat Muhammadi in Swat.

Pic credit ANI

More troops to Sar-e-Pul for security

Amid rising threats from the Islamic State (ISIS), the Taliban deployed more than 2,500 troops to the northern province of Sar-e-Pul to provide security on Monday.

“Over 1,500 Mujahedeen are settled in Squadron-3 and over 1,000 others stationed in Squadron-4. Now, also 200 Mujahedeen have graduated after taking six weeks of training,” said Mufti Mohammad Muqtasid, a senior commander of the Islamic Emirate in the province, reported Tolo News.

The commander of the Al-Fatha corps in northern Afghanistan, Ataullah Omari, said that the newly deployed forces are professionally trained.

The commander denied reports about the presence of Daesh or ISIS fighters in the province and warned that they would prevent any attacks, reported Tolo News.

The Al-Fatha corpse is in charge of ensuring security in Faryab, Sar-e-Pul, Jawzjan, Balkh and Samangan provinces.

Previously, the chief of staff of the Islamic Emirate forces announced that efforts were underway to form a unit of 100,000 troops, reported Tolo News.

The Taliban-ISIS standoff has been ongoing in Afghanistan since 2015, when ISIS began forming terrorist cells in the country and recruiting fighters, compromising the Taliban influence.

Fierce clashes had erupted between the Taliban and the IS in Nangarhar, Logar and Farah provinces, reported Sputnik.

Since the Taliban return to power in Afghanistan in mid-August, ISIS has carried out several terrorist attacks across the country, including the blast at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in August that killed more than 180 people, and an attack at a Shiite mosque in Kunduz city in October that resulted in over 150 deaths.

The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their commitment to eliminate the IS faction in Afghanistan and pledged to stop the attacks. (ANI)

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Taliban claim crackdown on ISIS-K

Pic credit ANI

“The security forces of the Islamic Emirate have destroyed 21 bases of the IS group in different provinces including Kabul, Nangarhar and Herat, said Taliban spokesperson…reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has downplayed the security threat posed by the Islamic State (IS), saying security forces have arrested 600 militants affiliated with the terror group over the past three months.

“The security forces of the Islamic Emirate have destroyed 21 bases of the IS group in different provinces including Kabul, Nangarhar and Herat and also captured about 600 militants over the past three months,” Xinhua news agency quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as saying to reporters at a press briefing here.

Mujahid said the group doesn’t enjoy support from Afghans and its activities are under control.

The spokesman also assured that the crackdown on the armed group would continue.

“Afghanistan’s soil won’t be used against any country.”

The remarks come as the US and its allies are concerned over alleged presence of Al Qaeda, IS and and other terror outfits in Afghanistan.

Responding to a question, Mujahid said that Afghanistan attaches great importance to developing ties with its neighbours and seeks to boost trade and economic cooperation with them.

Mujahid also said that acting Foreign Minister Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi was currently on a visit to Islamabad to discuss with Pakistani officials the matters concerning mutual interests including trade and economic cooperation.

Also speaking at the briefing, Khalil Hamraz, head of public relations of the General Directorate of Intelligence, or the country’s counter-intelligence agency, said that the agency would continue to crack down on the IS operatives and criminals including kidnappers, thieves and all those who violate law and order.

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SEASON 2: Good Terrorists Vs Bad Terrorists. Sponsored by ISI. LOCATION- Afghanistan

Pakistan’s ISI is coordinating the joint efforts of the Taliban, ISKP, and LeT to provide support to the Taliban through the game of good and bad boys, with LeT being the major player, the Armenian think tank said…reports Asian Lite News

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has claimed responsibility for the horrific Kabul attack, is a “clever creation” of notorious Pakistan intelligence agency–ISI–to deny responsibility for the recent spiralling crisis in Afghanistan, said an Armenian think tank.

In a piece in The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, Armenian Network State said that the experts believe that Pakistan created ISKP by planting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives in leadership positions in the outfit.

“ISKP is a clever ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence, of Pakistan] creation to help in ensuring deniability to the Pakistani intelligence agency as Pakistan was being blamed for whatever was being done by the Taliban,” the think tank said.

ISI
Photo taken with mobile phone shows smoke rises near the blast site at an airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021. (Str/Xinhua/IANS)

“The Pakistani project in Afghanistan has nearly succeeded with one Pakistani proxy Taliban becoming a ‘good boy’ and another Pakistan proxy ISKP becoming a ‘bad boy’. The latest attack on Kabul airport is indicative of the fact that ISI’s operation has been launched in full swing,” it added.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber and multiple ISIS-K gunmen killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians in the attack at the Kabul airport.

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Soon after the attack, ISKP came forward to claim the responsibility. A commander of the ISKP named Amaq issued a statement on its Telegram channel wherein he claimed that a suicide bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari, managed to reach near a group of US soldiers, translators, and collaborators and detonated his explosives.

File photo shows foreign forces entering the Kabul airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Xinhua/IANS)

Pakistan’s ISI is coordinating the joint efforts of the Taliban, ISKP, and LeT to provide support to the Taliban through the game of good and bad boys, with LeT being the major player, the think tank said citing experts.

The think tank noted that ‘Emir’ or the chief of ISKP, Mawlawi Abdullah is a Pakistani citizen and had confessed about his connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba when the Afghan NDS arrested him for attacking a Gurdwara in Kabul and butchering 27 members from the Sikh minority community.

After being detained, Aslam Farooqui was replaced by Maulvi Mohammed as the new chief of the outfit. Similar to Farooqui, Maulvi Mohammad was also trained by the ISI and was associated with the LeT.

According to a report of Long War Journal, an independent watchdog on Afghanistan, “a number of Pakistani groups are known to operate inside Afghanistan and fight alongside the Taliban, and top leaders of Pakistani terror groups have been killed inside Afghanistan. Additionally, a number of Pakistanis are known to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP).”

Following the attacks, President Joe Biden, who is facing an intense backlash in the US over Kabul airport attack, vowed to retaliate and “not forgive” the perpetrators. It would be interesting to see whether he holds the source of the attack, the ISI, accountable or just gives it the cold shoulder. (inputs from ANI)

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ISIS-K planner killed in US airstrikes

Palestinian Territories, Gaza city: Fire billows from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence(Photo: Mahmoud Khattab/Quds Net News via ZUMA Wire/dpa/IANS)

An ISIS-Khorasan planner was killed in a “counterterrorism” operation conducted by US military forces in the Nangahar province, a day after a terror attack in Kabul killed scores of people including 13 US troops.

In a statement spokesperson, for US Central Command said US forces conducted the “over-the-horizon” operation on Friday targeting the ISIS-K planner and the initial indication was that they “killed the target”.

“US military forces conducted an over the horizon counterterrorism operation today against an ISIS-K planner the unmanned airstrike occurred in the Nangahat province of Afghanistan. The initial indication is that we killed the target,” Navy Capt. Bill Urban said.

“We know of no civilian casualties,” the statement read.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber and multiple ISIS-K gunmen killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians in the attack at the Kabul airport.

ISKP on Thursday claimed responsibility for the blast. (ANI)

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