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Islamic State - Khorasan Province

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Profile

ISKP is the Afghanistan affiliate of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The group first emerged in 2014, formed by the former members of the Taliban, al Qaeda, IMU, and the TTP. In early 2015, the ISKP was officially formalized under the leadership of Hafiz Khan Saeed, former TTP commander, and established its base along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. ISKP advanced a vision for the creation of a global Islamic caliphate. Considered the most brutal jihadi militant group, ISKP periodically attacked the Afghan, U.S., and NATO forces and civilians and minority groups. They also attacked the Taliban, whom they viewed as filthy nationalists, limiting their jihad to Afghanistan, which directly opposes ISKP's vision of a global caliphate. Although the two groups viewed each other as strategic and ideological rivals, the relationship between the Taliban and ISKP was not uniformly hostile. The Haqqani Network has allegedly coordinated with ISKP on some attacks. By late 2019, ISKP had taken heavy casualties and significantly weakened from the multi-front war. Nonetheless, they continued to mount deadly attacks, such as the May 2020 attack on a Kabul maternity ward that killed 24 people and an attack on Kabul University in November 2020 that left 22 people dead. By mid-2021, the UN estimated the ISKP to number 1,500 to 2,000 fighters from a high of 6,000 in 2016. Based in the eastern and northern provinces, the group retained the ability to launch deadly attacks, taking responsibility for the August 26 attack on Kabul airport that killed around 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. military personnel. Since the Taliban takeover, the group has regained its strength and has launched strings of attacks on the Afghan Shia population in mosques, schools, and education centers.

Interests

1. Global Caliphate

The group's name, Khorasan, refers to the historical region extending across parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. ISKP adheres to the broader Islamic State's ideology, which seeks to establish a global, transnational caliphate governed by Islamic jurisprudence beginning in Khorasan. The group advocates for both a violent struggle against the West and fighting apostates in the region. Since the Taliban's takeover, the group has launched several deadly attacks in Afghanistan that targeted the Shia minority. They have also claimed responsibility for botched attacks targeting Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. On April 18, the ISKP posted a video of a rocket attack, followed by a statement that they allegedly launched ten rockets toward Termez, Uzbekistan, from Hairatan in Afghanistan. Still, none of the rockets made it past the Amu Darya River. Despite denial by both the Uzbeks and the Taliban of ISKP claims, Uzbek warplanes were reported to have crossed the border in the wake of the attack and flew as far as Mazar-i-Sharif. Uzbek military helicopters were also seen over the Amu Darya and Hairatan. On May 7, ISKP claimed it fired seven rockets into Tajikistan while targeting its armed forces. Authorities in Dushanbe countered the ISKP claims.

2. Internal Conflict

ISKP's strength had declined by late 2019 from an aggressive counterterrorism campaign by the international and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan, killing several of their mid- and senior-level leaders. The collapse of the Kabul government and the withdrawal of the international troops opened a power vacuum that encouraged the group and led to its deadliest attack on August 26, 2021, at Kabul airport. The ISKP has taken advantage of the political instability and absence of counterterrorism operations since August 2021 to regroup and incite terror in Afghanistan. In doing so, they have also sought to challenge the Taliban's control. ISKP's historical trend to launch attacks on high-profile targets, such as mosques, schools, airports, and hospitals, has regained momentum since the Taliban's takeover.

3. Consolidation of Power

ISKP wants to become the foremost jihadi militant organization and expand its presence in the region. To achieve that goal, the group has often fought its main competition - the Taliban. Since the Taliban takeover, the ISKP has launched several attacks against the civilians to destabilize the Taliban rule. The ISKP brands the Taliban as filthy nationalists that fight for a narrow nationalistic base, and wants to dilodge them.

Relationships

Allies

Partners

IMU

Rivals

Adversaries

AAOs

US
UK
GER
FRA
RUS
IRA
TJK
UZB
PAK
KSA
UAE
QAT
AQ
IEA
HQN

AFGHANISTAN NEGOTIATION PROJECT

Previously based at:

Negotiation Task Force (NTF)

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University

1730 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

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© 2023 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College

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