History of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province
[2] Jamat al-Tawhid wa-al-Jihad (Organization of Monotheism and Jihad), led by Jordanian Salafist jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, quickly gained notoriety for bloody attacks on Shia mosques, civilians, Iraqi government, American, and foreign troops.
[1] A significant development came on 14 July 2012 as Hafiz Saeed Khan, a prominent TTP leader, agreed to rapidly assemble a group of 143 Afghan and Pakistani volunteer fighters for al-Qaeda to dispatch to join the al-Nusra Front in Syria.
At the time, commanders found it fairly easy to motivate fighters to join the fight in Syria as most assumed their former organization would eventually sign a peace deal with the Afghan or Pakistani government, and because the money was more attractive than the region's faltering Taliban donors.
Khadim was an Alizai Pashtun from Helmand in southern Afghanistan who had originally served as the Taliban's provincial governor of Kunar until he was arrested by US forces and sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp until his release in 2007.
[1] Following his unceremonious exist from Khilafat Afghan, Muslim Dost's new breakaway group would officially join ISIS–K on 6 March 2015, growing significantly in personnel thanks to ample funding from private Saudi donors.
Even though he came from Kot District, Nangarhar, Muslim Dost recruited primarily from members of the Quetta Shura (access he was originally provided by his association with Khadim), though he broadened later to include his home province.
Although Saeed Khan had sworn allegiance to ISIS Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on 11 May 2013, it wasn't until 15 July 2014 that he formally established the TKP, which was announced publicly on 14 August 2014.
That all changed on 26 January 2015 when ISIS Central's chief spokesperson, Abu Muhammad al-Adnan announced in an audio statement the official establishment of Wilayat Khorasan with Hafiz Saeed Khan as Wali.
"[1] Although Khorasan Province wasn't officially established until January 2015, a number of indicators of ISIS's regional presence began appearing in August 2014 when the ISIS-aligned militant groups began its propaganda campaign which included leaflets and pamphlets, including a twelve-page pamphlet in Pashto and Dari in the Pakistani frontier region announcing the "imminent expansion of the Islamic State into Khorasan" and calling on Muslims to swear allegiance to al-Baghdadi.
In February 2015, Afghan army intelligence reports indicated that ISIS–K had around seventy members present in Khakki Safed District, Farah Province, the first the National Directorate of Security's had to admit of ISIS–K's presence in the country.
[1] Formed in February 2015, the Omar Ghazi group emerged from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's (IMU) contingent in Syria, with encouragement from Abu Muslim Turkmani of ISIS-Central.
Led by Omar Ghazi and an IMU commander named Sadullah Urgeni, the group initially comprised 580 members, with a presence in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq.
Led by Mawlavi Hakimullah Baghlani, Shamali Khilafat attracted Taliban commanders of Uzbek and Tajik ethnicity, particularly those with ties to the former Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
[1] Harakat Khilafat Baluch, a key component group operating within the framework of ISIS–K, emerged as a significant player in the evolving landscape of militant activities in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
Established on July 13, 2015, through the merger of Iranian Baluchi factions, including Harakat-e Ansar-e Iran, Jaysh ul Adl, and elements from Jundullah, the group swiftly became a focal point for Sunni militants.
[1] Jaysh ul Islam, a significant component group aligned with ISIS–K, joined the militant landscape in November 2015, bringing a considerable force of nearly 700 members, with a notable presence in Pakistani Baluchistan.
Led by figures like Mehmud Rahman and later Maulana Mohammad Tahir Baluch, the group demonstrated an ideological affinity with ISIS, particularly in its targeting of Shi’a communities.
[1] Jaysh ul Islam's funding sources, which included ISIS-Central, Qatar, and Saudi Arabian private donors, reflected the complex web of financial support sustaining militant activities.
The group's merger with ISIS–K exemplified the broader dynamics of regional alliances, emphasizing the organization's alignment with ISIS's extremist ideology and its role in furthering the overarching goals of ISIS–K in the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands.
[1] Mullah Bakhtwar's group, a faction led by the former Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander from the Afridi tribe, emerged on the militant scene in early 2016 and later joined forces with ISIS–K.
[1] In the backdrop of Bakhtwar's reported support from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the group's integration into ISIS–K added another layer to the complex geopolitical dynamics shaping militant activities in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
[1] The dynamics of this integration involved a unique agreement where the Shamsatoo recruits received senior positions and facilities akin to other ISIS–K members but were distributed among various recognized component groups.
The group's presence echoed the broader trend of ISIS–K negotiating with individual Hizb-i Islami commanders, highlighting the complex interplay of ideological, political, and pragmatic motivations.
Although not confirmed by ISIS–K, this group's activities hinted at the organization's efforts to appeal not only to religious zealots but also to a broader demographic, including what they described as 'modern girls, modern boys.
The multifaceted engagement with student groups showcased ISIS–K's adaptability and its pursuit of influence beyond traditional military avenues, using educational institutions as arenas for ideological propagation and recruitment.
[1] On 31 October 2017, Sayfullo Saipov, a terrorist with unclear connections to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, drove a pickup truck down a crowded bike path in Manhattan, New York City, killing 8 and injuring 11 before being shot by a police officer.
After the U.S. invasion in 2001, HIG declared an alliance with al-Qaeda fighting against NATO and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), including a number of bombings and massacres across Afghanistan.
[1] At one point, in early July 2015, Afghand and later international media groups began publishing a supposed statement released by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar urging his fighters to support ISIS–K against the Taliban.
[1] In specific regions like northern Afghanistan, ISIS–K forces, such as Shamali Khilafat and Omar Ghazi group, initially supported Taliban operations in Badakhshan, Takhar, and Kunduz.
This event, coupled with ISIS–K's push to dominate areas in Kunar, exacerbated tensions and led to al-Qaeda relocating its forces in response to the aggressive moves by the rival group.
