A recent report by the United Nations Security Council regarding Afghanistan and the terrorist groups based in the country reveals that Al-Qaeda members have recently returned to Afghanistan from various countries, particularly Yemen, while the threat from ISIS-Khorasan is also on the rise in the country. According to this report, Abdulazim bin Ali, a seasoned Al-Qaeda commander from Libya, is working as an advisor to Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network and interior minister of the Taliban regime. Several other Al-Qaeda commanders are setting up training centers and collaborating with other jihadist groups.
The UN Security Council report, which specifically focuses on the activities of ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, states that ISIS-Khorasan poses a serious threat to the security of many countries. This group has instructed its members to organize attacks not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but also in other countries.
The report highlights that the threat posed by ISIS-Khorasan, which is based in Afghanistan, extends beyond neighboring countries and Central Asia. The group intends to carry out deadly attacks beyond the borders of Asia. According to the report, Abu Manzar, a Tajik citizen based in Afghanistan, is responsible for ISIS-Khorasan’s financial affairs. The group has also established networks in Turkey, Ukraine, Central Asia, and European countries, through which they raise funds and recruit new members.
The UN Security Council report adds that Ismatullah Khalozi is responsible for ISIS-Khorasan’s network in Europe and is one of its financial backers. Although little is known about Khalozi, in June 2022, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior listed him and 13 others as banned individuals for terrorist activities or financial support of terrorist organizations.
The UN Secretary-General’s report notes that after an attack on a church in Istanbul in January 2024, Turkish security forces arrested 16 people from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Afghanistan, all linked to ISIS-Khorasan. Following these arrests, the group changed its communication methods and the location of its activities in Turkey.
Since the start of 2024, ISIS-Khorasan operatives and organized attacks have been thwarted in France, Belgium, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Canada, and the U.S. Most of these individuals, who planned to carry out deadly attacks, were citizens of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other Asian countries.
In June, Spanish security forces dismantled an ISIS-Khorasan propaganda cell that was disseminating jihadist recruitment messages in 30 languages.
While the exact number of ISIS-Khorasan members is not specified in the UN report, it is mentioned that estimates from UN member states vary between 2,000 and 6,000 fighters. Some key ISIS-Khorasan members have recently moved from Kunar and Nangarhar, considered the group’s strongholds, to Badakhshan in northeastern Afghanistan and to Nimroz and Herat in the west.
The UN Security Council report notes that one of ISIS-Khorasan’s primary goals is to capture territory in Afghanistan and strike Central Asia, Russia, and Iran. The group is also expanding its propaganda in languages spoken in Russia and Central Asia, aiming to recruit more members from these regions. Additionally, ISIS-Khorasan is trying to recruit individuals in India to carry out attacks as "lone wolves" targeting pre-determined objectives. The UN Secretary-General’s report also points to links between ISIS-Khorasan and the Jaish al-Adl organization based in Iran.
According to the report, ISIS-Khorasan has supplied Jaish al-Adl with suicide bombers and military equipment for attacks on Iranian security forces’ bases in Rask and Chabahar.
Strengthening ISIS-Khorasan’s Financial Network
Part of the UN Security Council report focuses on ISIS-Khorasan’s financial network, which gathers funds through various channels. Alongside Abu Manzar, a Tajik national in charge of the group’s financial network in Afghanistan, other networks have also been set up for fundraising. Qari Rafiullah is another key figure in ISIS-Khorasan’s financial network, while a person known as Abu Tamim al-Kurdi, an associate of Abu Muhammad al-Madani, runs another branch of the group’s financial operations.
The report adds that ISIS-Khorasan is led by Sanaullah Ghafari, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, while the group’s foreign operations unit is headed by Abu Ahmed al-Madani, an Iraqi national based in eastern Afghanistan. The possible locations for al-Madani’s residence are thought to be Kunar and Nuristan provinces in eastern Afghanistan. The report indicates that ISIS-Khorasan also receives financial support from ISIS branches in Africa. These funds are transferred from Africa to Yemen and then to Afghanistan. ISIS-Khorasan members travel between Afghanistan, Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran, collecting money and recruiting members.
An Al-Qaeda Commander Serves as an Advisor to the Taliban’s Interior Minister
The UN Security Council report on Al-Qaeda reveals that several members of the group have recently returned to Afghanistan from various countries. Al-Qaeda is currently rebuilding its military structures, particularly its training programs, although its activities are relatively limited compared to ISIS-Khorasan, adopting a strategy of "strategic patience." According to the UN Secretary-General’s report, Al-Qaeda values its relationship with the Afghan Taliban, which is why it has not launched military attacks from Afghanistan yet.
Al-Qaeda members from the Middle East enter Afghanistan via Mashhad and Zabul in Iran and live in safe houses set up by the group in various Afghan cities. The report mentions Abu Hamza al-Anbari, an Iraqi national, Abdul Qadir al-Misri, and Ali Omar al-Kurdi as individuals who have traveled to Afghanistan from the Middle East, including Yemen, after the Taliban’s return to power. Among them, an Al-Qaeda commander named Abdulazim bin Ali, a Libyan national, works as an advisor to Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network and interior minister of the Taliban regime.
Alliance Between Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Afghan Taliban, and Al-Qaeda
Part of the report focuses on Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) activities, stating that the group has between 6,000 to 6,500 members, and its leader, Noor Wali Mehsud, has recently strengthened ties with Al-Qaeda. According to the report, only 14,000 members of TTP are from Mehsud’s tribe and relatives, including his deputy, Qari Amjad.
Abu Ikhlas al-Misri, a veteran Al-Qaeda commander based in Kunar, Afghanistan, is coordinating with the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group to prepare suicide bombers for attacks inside Pakistan. Al-Misri’s training center in Kunar is also active. According to the report, the Afghan Taliban, Pakistani Taliban, and Al-Qaeda have provided training centers and military resources to Al-Qaeda’s India branch, posing a significant threat to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar.
Earlier, the UN Security Council’s Sanctions Monitoring Team had published reports on international terrorist groups’ activities in Afghanistan, but the Taliban consistently dismisses these reports as false and unfounded.
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| Sirajuddin Haqqani |
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