Islamic State of Khorasan (ISIS-K), sworn enemies of both the Taliban and the US, see US officials behind the attack which took place today (26/8) at Kabul airport.
ISIS-K, a subsidiary of the terrorist group in Afghanistan, is the biggest immediate threat to both the Americans and the Taliban as the United States escalates its evacuation at Kabul airport before the August 31 departure deadline.
It was created six years ago by the disgruntled Pakistani Taliban and has carried out dozens of attacks in Afghanistan this year, SKAI reports.
It was founded in 2015 with followers aiming to establish an Islamic caliphate throughout Khorasan – a historic region that covers Pakistan and Afghanistan along with parts of Central Asia.
What is the Islamic State of Khorasan Province?
The Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISIS-K or ISKP) has claimed responsibility for some of the deadliest attacks in recent years in Afghanistan, according to the APE-MPE.
It mainly targets Muslims it considers heretics, especially Shiites. In August 2019, he launched an attack on a Shiite wedding in Kabul, killing 91 people. Although ISIS-K and the Taliban are both Sunni, Islamist organizations, relations between them are competitive and mutually hostile.
Earlier in the day, security analysts said ISIS-K had been suspended for 12 days, indicating that it was preparing for a major operation, such as a suicide bombing.
The warning, however, did not deter many Afghans who continued to flock to the airport to board a plane. “I will wait until the airport closes,” said a man earlier who said his name was Hamid and that he worked for a ministry before the Taliban occupied Kabul.
“They will give our work to theirs. How will I take care of my family? ” he wondered, as he was not reassured by the Taliban’s assurance that the people had nothing to fear.
His relationship with the Taliban
Both groups are hardline Sunni Islamist fighters, but differ in the details of religion and strategy, and claim to be the real flag bearers of jihad.
In fact, the Islamic State did not react well to the Taliban victory in Afghanistan. He strongly criticized the US agreement with the Taliban for the withdrawal of foreign troops, accusing the latter of abandoning the jihadist goal.
U.S. military and intelligence analysts say threats from the group include truck bombings, suicide bombers infiltrating crowds outside Hamid Karzai International Airport and mortar shelling of the airport.
These threats, combined with new demands from the Taliban to withdraw from the United States by August 31, may have influenced President Biden’s decision on Tuesday to meet that deadline.
The U.S. embassy on Wednesday warned Americans to stay away from the airport and called on anyone outside the perimeter to leave immediately.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the United States was watching a “specific” threat at the airport from ISIS-K, which has carried out dozens of attacks in recent years.
A United Nations report in June concluded that 8,000 to 10,000 fighters from Central Asia, Russia’s North Caucasus region, Pakistan and the Xinjiang region of western China have invaded Afghanistan in recent months.
Most are linked to the Taliban or al Qaeda, the report said, but others are allies of ISIS-K.
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