The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) of the United States has warned in its latest report that ISIS Khorasan (IS-K), beyond attracting local Salafis, continues its recruitment in Afghanistan and the region. Findings indicate that ISIS is focusing on recruiting disaffected Taliban and foreign fighters, with most of its members being militants from Central Asia and the Caucasus. SIGAR, in this report, has labeled ISIS as the biggest threat within Afghanistan, stating that the group can launch attacks in the region and beyond. Meanwhile, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has said that terrorist threats against American interests from Afghanistan have increased. According to this institution, Afghanistan, under Taliban control, has provided a growing space for terrorist groups. It emphasizes that ISIS has become the biggest threat to Afghanistan, the region, and beyond.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has warned in its latest report that ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) is the biggest threat within Afghanistan and this group also can launch attacks in and beyond the region.
SIGAR has stated that ISIS is focusing on recruiting from among Taliban fighters, with most of its members being militants from Central Asia and the Caucasus. According to SIGAR, ISIS, beyond attracting local Salafis, continues to recruit foreign fighters in Afghanistan and has now become a serious threat in the region and beyond.
Quoting Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Program at the Wilson Center, the report states: “The goals of ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) have become global and extend beyond Afghanistan. It has previously carried out attacks in Pakistan and Central Asian countries, and in recent years, we have seen it slowly revealing its capacity to pose a threat beyond Afghanistan.”
SIGAR’s findings indicate that ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed responsibility for six attacks inside Afghanistan in the past three months, including several targeted against Taliban officials.
The report also addresses the establishment of religious schools better known as madrasas within Afghanistan by the Taliban. SIGAR has stated that the total number of religious schools established by the Taliban exceeds 6,800. According to the Inspector General’s report, 380 schools are for women and girls. SIGAR reports that from November 2023 to February 2024, nearly 2,500 boys and girls have graduated from Taliban-run religious schools. The report states that there are 6,456 boys’ schools and 380 girls’ schools active under the Taliban regime.
SIGAR has reiterated that the United States has provided Afghanistan with $17.19 billion in aid since August 2021, including humanitarian assistance and the cost of transferring and housing Afghan migrants. In its sixty-third quarterly report sent to the US Congress, this institution explained the expenditure of $14.4 billion for Afghanistan’s reconstruction.
SIGAR, citing a former Afghan provincial council member, has stated that Taliban suicide bombers and their families are benefiting from US aid. The report emphasizes Taliban interference in humanitarian assistance efforts, recording 81 incidents of their involvement just in February of this year.
Meanwhile, the United States Institute of Peace has stated in a report that terrorist threats against American interests from Afghanistan and Pakistan have consistently increased. According to the report, Afghanistan under Taliban control has provided a growing space for terrorist groups.
USIP has said, “ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) has emerged as a growing and regionally extensive threat.” The report also notes that the Pakistani Taliban insurgency (TTP) has become a regional security threat.
The United States Institute of Peace’s research group has concluded that terrorist threats against the United States from Afghanistan have increased compared to the period before the US withdrawal from the country. According to the institute’s research group, while the worst-case scenario regarding the reconstitution of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan has not materialized, this network enjoys Taliban support. It continues to maintain its relationship with the group. The report states that Al-Qaeda has requested permission from the Taliban to attack American and Indian citizens.
The United States Institute of Peace has stated that the Taliban, by providing sanctuary for terrorist groups and promoting extremist ideologies, has become a major challenge. The report mentions that the “Senior Terrorism Studies Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan” has urged US policymakers to focus more on counterterrorism efforts to reduce threats.
The report suggests that the United States should pursue policy options to protect its interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan in light of strategic competition. Previously, the USIP claimed that the main base of ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) in Afghanistan is under Taliban control. Esfandyar Mir, a senior expert at the institute, stated that ISIS demonstrated its capability to strike anywhere in the world with the attack on Moscow. According to him, the group’s attacks indicate their growing capacity to instill terror beyond their territorial presence.
This comes as leaders of Iran and Pakistan recently expressed concern about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s administration through a joint statement. They stated that these groups pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
Previously, the Financial Times also stated that history seems to be repeating itself. The media outlet claimed that global terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, have established new sanctuaries in their old havens in Afghanistan. In a report titled “Is Global Terror Making a Comeback?” the outlet wrote that Afghanistan’s return as a “host and incubator of jihadist terrorism” was entirely predictable.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
گزارشهای سیگار و انستیتوت صلح امریکا: داعش بر جذب جنگجویان سرخورده طالبان تمرکز کرده است