The resurgence of the Taliban has sparked speculations about Afghanistan becoming a hub of international terrorism. Amidst this, ISIS has remained a prominent name, consistently drawing attention over the past two years, and concerns about its resurgence have grown. This group has conducted deadly attacks in various cities. According to Hasht-e Subh Daily’s assessment, ISIS attacks have claimed the lives of 881 individuals, mostly civilians, and injured 1,492 others in the past two years. The IS-Khorasan (IS-K) branch has claimed responsibility for at least 57 attacks since the Taliban regained power. These attacks have targeted educational institutions, mosques, gatherings, diplomatic sites, foreign citizens, and Taliban positions across provinces such as Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Farah, Samangan, and Badakhshan. There are growing concerns and numerous warnings regarding the escalating attacks, particularly due to ISIS’s inclination towards transnational operations. Recent findings indicate that a significant number of dissatisfied Taliban militants, including Ansar Allah, around a thousand in number, have joined the ranks of IS-Khorasan (IS-K). However, the Taliban, having moved past the denial stage regarding ISIS, consider the group to be incapable and believe that certain countries are promoting its activities.
2021: The Taliban’s Return and the Start of New ISIS Attacks
According to Hasht-e Subh Daily’s assessment, ISIS conducted a minimum of 15 attacks in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunduz, and Kandahar provinces following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 381 individuals, including Taliban forces and predominantly Shia/Hazara civilians, while 527 others sustained injuries. Out of the 15 attacks, at least seven specifically targeted Taliban-related objectives. Notably, in August 2021, after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, a significant attack occurred at the Kabul Airport Gate. ISIS claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, with the attacker identified as Abdul Rahman Logari. This incident claimed the lives of 187 civilians and 13 US soldiers, leaving nearly 300 other civilians injured.
During their talks, the Taliban long denied the presence of the IS-Khorasan (IS-K) in the country. However, this changed when a series of five consecutive attacks targeted Taliban military vehicles in Nangarhar province from September 18 to September 22 of that year. These attacks resulted in the deaths of six individuals and injured 20 others, primarily Taliban forces. In a press conference, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, declared that the Nangarhar attacks would be the last ISIS attacks in Afghanistan. Despite this statement, on September 22 of the same year, the Taliban’s border patrol forces vehicles near Jalalabad City were targeted. Additionally, on October 3, a suicide attack occurred at the Eidgah Great Mosque in Kabul, claiming the lives of at least eight individuals and injuring 20 others. This explosion took place during the funeral ceremony of Zabihullah Mujahid’s mother. Subsequently, on October 5, the Taliban carried out a nighttime operation in Kabul’s Paghman district, arresting four individuals on charges of collaborating with the ISIS group. Tragically, during the operation, eight members of a family were killed as their residential house was targeted. Thus, the Taliban’s stance shifted from denial to actively conducting operations against the ISIS group.
On Friday, October 8, the first ISIS attack on Shia/Hazara after the Taliban’s takeover was recorded. The group targeted a Shia place of worship in the Khanabad district of Kunduz province during congregational prayers. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that the attack resulted in the deaths of 50 individuals and injured over 100 others. A week later, on Friday, October 15, Kandahar province experienced two devastating explosions, once again targeting Shia worshippers. The attack took place at Fatimia mosque in the first district of Kandahar City, where 68 worshippers were killed and 60 others were injured. The Taliban denounced the attack as a “heinous crime.” ISIS identified Anas Khorasani and Abu Ali Balochi as the assailants in this attack.
Continuing their series of attacks, ISIS targeted Sardar Mohammad Dawood Khan Hospital in Kabul, 18 days after the Kandahar incident. Five armed individuals later announced as ISIS assailants, launched an assault on the hospital on Wednesday, November 2. They carried out two suicide attacks within the hospital compound and engaged in an armed confrontation with Taliban militants. According to a Reuters report, the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 15 individuals, including Mawlawi Hamid Ullah Mukhlis, the commander of the Taliban’s Kabul garrison, and injured 23 Taliban members.
In the same year, ISIS claimed responsibility for two explosions on November 17 at the Naqqash Bus Station in the 13th district of Kabul. Precise casualty figures were not disclosed. Additionally, three explosions occurred on December 10, 2021, in the 3rd and 6th districts of Kabul, resulting in two deaths and four injuries as reported by the Taliban.
2022: ISIS Attacks in Central Asia
In the year 2022, the country witnessed approximately 34 attacks, some attributed to or claimed by ISIS. Kabul had 10 attacks, Herat had five, Balkh had four, Kunduz had three, and one each in Farah, Badakhshan, Kunar, and Zabul provinces. Among these, only 10 targeted Taliban military positions in Herat, Badakhshan, Zabul, Farah, Kunduz, and Kunar provinces, while the rest targeted non-military sites. The ISIS attacks in Afghanistan in 2022 resulted in the deaths of 432 individuals, including 41 Taliban members, and left 747 individuals injured, including 58 Taliban members.
On January 22, ISIS launched an attack on Haji Abbas, a Hazara/Shia-populated area in the western part of Herat province, resulting in seven deaths and 10 injuries, primarily among women and children. This marked the beginning of 2022 with an attack targeting the Shia community. In February, the United Nations released documents revealing that ISIS had approximately 4,000 militants in Afghanistan, many of whom had joined the group following the Taliban’s takeover and the release of prisoners across the country. General Kenneth McKenzie, the former head of US Central Command, issued a warning to the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services on March 14, cautioning about the potential resurgence of ISIS activities in Afghanistan during the upcoming summer.
In the early months of the year, a series of smaller attacks persisted. According to local sources in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province, on Friday night, March 18, the Hasht-e Subh Daily reported that at least four Taliban militants were killed and another individual was injured in an ISIS attack on a Taliban outpost in the Sorkh-e Sangak area of Tarai village. Additionally, in the province of Farah, local sources confirmed that on Thursday night, March 30, individuals affiliated with ISIS attacked Ghayas Jija’s house in the Khak Safid district, resulting in the death of several guards belonging to a local Taliban commander.
At approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, April 1, two explosions rocked the Jebriyal township in district nine of Herat City. According to sources, the blasts claimed the lives of at least five people and left 13 others wounded, who were subsequently taken to the hospital. The incidents occurred while members of the Hazara community had gathered in a park within the Jebriyal township for recreational purposes. In a separate incident on April 18th, ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) launched ten 107mm rockets toward Uzbekistan and targeted parts of the city of Termiz. However, specific casualty figures were not reported, and the Uzbekistan government did not confirm these attacks.
On Tuesday, April 19, ISIS carried out a major attack on Abdul Rahim Shaheed High School and Momtaz Educational Training Center in the Tank-e Tail Area of Dasht-e-Barchi region, located in the 13th security district of Kabul City. The explosions resulted in the tragic loss of at least 30 lives and left over 50 others injured. The majority of the victims were students attending the school. It is important to note that the Taliban imposed restrictions on journalists reporting accurate casualty figures of these devastating explosions, and official sources that previously provided such information were censored. However, Mohammad Mohaqiq, a former political leader, stated that nearly 130 students perished in this attack.
On Thursday, April 21, reports emerged of two explosions, one at Sai Dokaan Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and another at Sar-e Dawara Mosque in Kunduz city. The first attack occurred during Friday congregational prayers at the mosque frequented by Shia Muslims, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 50 lives and over 100 injuries. Similarly, in the second attack, a mine explosion targeted a Taliban vehicle repair shop, claiming the lives of at least four individuals and injuring eight others. ISIS Khorasan claimed responsibility for these attacks. The following day, the Taliban announced the arrest of Abdul Hamid Sangaryar, the self-proclaimed governor of IS-K for Balkh province and the mastermind behind the horrific explosion at Sai Dokaan Mosque, in Chahar Bolak district.
Additionally, on Friday, April 22, ISIS conducted a suicide attack on Mawlawi Sikandar Mosque in the Chenar-e Sayed Jalal area of the Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province. The attack targeted the gathering of Sufi followers and resulted in the tragic loss of at least 40 lives, including children, and 50 individuals injured, according to sources.
In another incident, on Wednesday, April 27, unidentified assailants killed five passengers traveling on the Balkh-Dara-I-Suf route. Similarly, the following day, reports emerged of two explosions targeting passenger vehicles in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of Balkh province. The first explosion occurred near the Sakhi Shrine, targeting a Townce vehicle, while the second explosion took place at the First Sajjadia division in the tenth district of Mazar-i-Sharif, targeting a Coach vehicle. These attacks resulted in the tragic loss of nine lives and left 13 others injured. The majority of the passengers affected were Hazaras and Shiites.
On the afternoon of Friday, April 29, another explosion rocked the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Alauddin Square, situated in the sixth security division of Kabul City. Witnesses reported a death toll of 50 individuals, with around 70 others sustaining injuries. It is important to note that all the victims belonged to a particular Sufi sect. However, the Taliban, in contrast, claimed that the incident resulted in the deaths of 11 people and left 20 others injured.
Furthermore, ISIS extended its reach beyond domestic attacks and executed its second cross-border assault on May 11. According to the ISIS-affiliated website “Amaq,” the group launched a series of missile attacks on Tajikistan’s territory. These attacks originated from a base in the Khwaja Ghar district of Takhar province. The State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan verified the impact of four homemade M-1 missiles on their soil and indicated that the missiles were indiscriminately fired amid clashes between ISIS and the Taliban.
On Wednesday, May 25, ISIS carried out a fresh wave of attacks on passenger vehicles in Mazar-i-Sharif. These attacks occurred in the fifth and tenth security divisions of the city, claiming nine lives and injuring 15 others. Later that evening, a mosque in the Traffic Roundabout area of Kabul city’s fourth security division became the site of another tragedy. A planted mine in the mosque’s pulpit caused a deadly explosion, resulting in six fatalities and 16 injuries.
On June 28, five attackers from IS-Khorasan (IS-K) targeted Hindu temples in Kabul city. The attack occurred at the entrance to Bagh-e Bala Hills. According to sources, the incident resulted in at least 30 casualties, including fatalities and injuries. The Taliban reported the death of one Hindu civilian and one Taliban militant, along with injuries to seven Hindu civilians. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, citing it as a response to insults made by Indian politicians towards the Prophet of Islam.
On Friday, July 1, rocket attacks targeted the Loya Jirga Hall, where a meeting of Taliban religious scholars was taking place. The hall had been subjected to intense security measures. In the early hours of Monday, July 4, three vehicles carrying employees of the 207 Al-Farooq Taliban Corps and one vehicle carrying police personnel from Herat Airfield were attacked in the areas of Baland Aab, Number One, and Sarjangal in Herat City. According to updated statistics provided by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 18 Taliban militants and civil service employees, with nearly 20 others sustaining injuries.
On Thursday night, July 14 of the same year, the Taliban engaged in a clash with the ISIS group in Qonjaqah village, located in the Imam Saheb district of Kunduz province. Reports indicate that at least eight members of the IS-Khorasan (IS-K), including foreign citizens, and four Taliban militants lost their lives in the clash.
On Friday, August 5, an explosion occurred near Imam Baqir Mosque in the Sar-e-Kariz area, which is part of the sixth security division of Kabul, the capital. The Taliban’s security command in Kabul reported eight deaths and 18 injuries in that incident, but eyewitnesses stated that the explosion claimed the lives of at least 20 people and injured nearly 30 others. At the same time, another explosion took place that afternoon in the Pul-e-Sokhta area of Kabul City, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people and injuries to 35 others. However, according to Arif Rahmani, a former member of parliament, the explosion caused the deaths of at least 25 people and injured 30 others.
The day after the incident, ISIS elements engaged in a firefight with Taliban militants in Mazardara village, Nurgal district of Konar province. This resulted in the death of three Taliban militants and the injury of two others. The following day, an explosion targeted passengers of a Caster passenger vehicle in the Asmayi area of Kabul, but the exact casualty figures were not released. In the third attack by ISIS that month, on Thursday, August 11, the Rahimullah Haqqani School, affiliated with the Taliban, was targeted in the Shashdarak area of Kabul. Both Rahimullah Haqqani and his brother lost their lives in the suicide attack carried out by ISIS, a fact confirmed by the Taliban.
On Friday, September 2, a major explosion occurred at Guzargah Mosque in Herat City, according to local sources. The attack resulted in the deaths of 45 people, including Mawlawi Mujib al-Rahman Ansari, the mosque’s preacher, and injured 86 other worshippers who were civilians.
On Monday, September 5, two days after the previous attack, the consular section of the Russian Embassy in Kabul became the target of an attack. The attack resulted in the deaths of two Russian diplomats and at least six Afghan students who were seeking Russian scholarships. Additionally, 12 others were wounded in the incident. In response, Russia promptly ordered the suspension of its consular services in Kabul. This attack marked the first time that ISIS targeted a diplomatic location following the Taliban’s takeover. Another attack occurred on Friday, September 23, when ISIS targeted worshippers at the Wazir Akbar Khan Grand Mosque with a car bomb. According to Taliban statistics, eight people were killed and 41 others were injured in the attack.
One week after the previous incident, ISIS perpetrated one of the most significant attacks on civilians that year. On Friday, September 30, an explosion took place at the Kaaj Educational Training Center in western Kabul. A suicide bomber targeted the students who had assembled for a mock examination for university admissions. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 53 people, including 46 young girls under the age of 20, and left 110 others injured.
Around 22 days after the aforementioned attack, the Taliban announced that they had conducted an operation in the Bini-Hesar area of Kabul’s eighth security division. They claimed to have eliminated the individuals responsible for the attacks on the Wazir Akbar Khan Grand Mosque and the Kaaj Educational Training Center. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, reported that during the clash with ISIS, six ISIS members and one Taliban militant were killed.
Despite the Taliban’s claims of conducting operations against ISIS, the attacks by the extremist group continue unabated. Soon after, reports emerged of yet another ISIS attack in Herat province. On Thursday, October 27, in the early morning hours, a Caster minibus carrying Taliban doctors from Al-Farooq Corps was attacked in the Khaima Duzaan Bridge area of Herat City. The attack claimed the lives of at least five individuals, while 18 others sustained injuries.
On Thursday, December 1, following evening prayers, an explosion rocked the Al-Jihad School in the Sarak Band area of Aybak City, the center of Samangan province. The attack claimed the lives of at least 35 worshippers and students of the school, while 23 others sustained injuries. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported a death toll of 19 and 23 injured in the incident.
On Friday, December 2, following the attack on the school in Samangan province, gunmen targeted Obaid ur Rehman Nizamani, the newly appointed Pakistani ambassador to Kabul, inside the embassy compound. While the ambassador remained unharmed, one of his guards named Israr Mohammad sustained injuries. Pakistan condemned the attack as a “very serious security lapse” and summoned the Taliban ambassador in Islamabad. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing a video of the shooting incident.
On Tuesday, December 6, four days after the previous incident, ISIS targeted a vehicle carrying employees of the Hairatan Oil Terminal in Mazar-i-Sharif City, the capital of Balkh province, with a mine explosion. Mohammad Asef Waziri, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s security command in Balkh province, reported that the explosion resulted in seven deaths and six injuries.
A week later, on Monday, December 12, an explosion and gunfire were heard in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area. ISIS attacked the residence of Chinese nationals (Kabul Hotel) on Shahr-e Naw Tower Street. Reports from the emergency hospital indicated that three people were killed, and 18 wounded individuals were taken to the hospital. Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that five Chinese citizens were injured and described the attack as an act of terrorism.
The final attack of 2022 took place in Badakhshan province. On Monday morning, December 26, a mine explosion targeted Abdul Haq Omari, the security commander of the Taliban in Badakhshan province, and two of his guards in Fayzabad City. They were killed in the attack, which was claimed by ISIS, and four others were injured.
2023: The Bloody Months of ISIS Attacks
In 2023, ISIS decreased the number of attacks but shifted focus to strategic targets such as military and diplomatic areas. They carried out a total of eight attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least 68 individuals, including over 21 Taliban militants and two commanders, and injuring 215 others. Three of these attacks targeted Taliban military and civilian locations.
On January 1, a suicide bomber detonated himself at the entrance gate of Kabul’s military airport. Although eyewitnesses at the scene stated that civilian access near the entrance gate was prohibited at that time, all the victims were declared non-military personnel. IS-Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack and released a picture of the suicide bomber, claiming to have killed and injured at least 50 Taliban militants. However, sources informed the Al Jazeera news network that 14 people were killed and 18 others were wounded in that attack.
On Wednesday, January 11, an explosion occurred at the entrance gate of the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Malik Asghar intersection in Kabul’s Second Security division. The explosion took place while a Chinese diplomat delegation was present. According to sources informed by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the attack resulted in at least 21 deaths and 47 injuries. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and identified their attacker as Khaiber Al-Qunduzi. Among the victims were 18 employees of the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and three Taliban militants.
On Wednesday, March 8, an assassin targeted Mohammad Dawood Kaker, the head of the Taliban’s Water Supply Department in Herat province, in the Lala Zaar Hall area of Herat City. A gunman opened fire on the vehicle carrying Kaker in the middle of the road. Sources at the scene informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the attack resulted in the deaths of Kaker and two other individuals, with four others injured.
Following that event, an attack on a high-ranking Taliban official took place. On Thursday, March 9, the attacker, who had been disguising himself as a resident seeking to resolve property disputes, detonated explosives in the corridor of Mohammad Dawood Muzammil’s office, the Taliban governor of Balkh province. The attack resulted in the deaths of Muzammil and two others, while 30 more were injured. The Amaq News Agency, affiliated with ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the attacker as Abdul Haq al-Khorasani. In April, the Taliban announced the arrest of the perpetrators of the attack on Dawood Muzammil in Faryab province. Meanwhile, the group also reported the killing of Zia ul-Din, the second-ranking official of ISIS who had self-proclaimed himself as the governor and judicial official for Balkh province, along with two others.
Shortly after that attack, on Saturday, March 11, an explosion occurred at the Tibyan Center in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. A group of journalists had gathered there to commemorate Journalist Day when the explosion took place. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least two journalists and injured 30 others, including 15 journalists. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.
Approximately two months after the attack on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taliban diplomats were once again targeted. On Monday, March 27, 2023, at noon, ISIS attacked the ministry’s employees, resulting in the deaths of at least six individuals and injuring 12 others, including Taliban militants. It is worth mentioning that in 2023, the Taliban’s special forces conducted multiple nighttime attacks on ISIS hideouts in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Nimruz provinces, claiming to have killed and injured dozens of ISIS members.
In recent explosions on June 6 and June 7 in Badakhshan province, ISIS killed a Taliban deputy for the province and another commander. The first explosion targeted Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, the deputy and acting governor of the Taliban for Badakhshan province, resulting in his and his driver’s deaths, as well as injuries to 17 others. The second explosion occurred at his funeral, killing 17 people, including a Taliban commander, and injuring 57 others. ISIS claimed responsibility for both attacks.
These widespread attacks occur as IS-Khorasan (IS-K) grows stronger each day, as reported by the Hasht-e Subh Daily. The group’s strength has been bolstered by the recruitment of foreign militants dissatisfied with the Taliban, including members of the Jundallah group. Within IS-Khorasan (IS-K), a faction known as the Jundallah group has formed, led by Mullah Saad and Usman Ghazi’s son, Osama. It is estimated that this group consists of around two thousand individuals and is primarily based in northern Afghanistan. The inclusion of the Jundallah group in ISIS has led to speculation about an increase in IS-Khorasan (IS-K) attacks against the Taliban.
According to sources, the Taliban have expressed deep concerns about the increasing activities of ISIS. Although they downplay ISIS’s actions in press conferences, they secretly fear the group’s growing influence and are actively working to counter IS-Khorasan (IS-K)’s attacks. However, their specific plans for dealing with ISIS, particularly IS-Khorasan (IS-K), remain uncertain.