The threat of ISIS, also known as Islamic State, might have seemed to be waning as headlines turned to Ukraine, Gaza and the next US election.
But last week’s attack on a Moscow concert hall reminded the world of the enduring danger of Islamist terrorism and the ambitions of what is known as IS Khorasan far beyond its camps in the mountains of Afghanistan. Analysts believe the group has a growing focus on Europe – and point to events such as this year’s Paris Olympics as potential targets.
-K was created nine years ago as an autonomous ‘province’ of the Islamic State, and despite many enemies has survived and proved itself capable of launching attacks in Pakistan, Iran and central Asia. Before the Crocus City attack, it had planned others in Europe and Russia. The commander of US Central Command, Gen. Erik Kurilla, assessed recently that
-K “has the desire and a growing ability to project beyond Afghanistan and carry out regional attacks” in Pakistan, Iran and central Asia, bolstered by a robust media output in Tajik, Uzbek and Russian. Fitton-Brown said that in Afghanistan the Taliban’s “Pashto chauvinism has helped -K has also expanded its orbit. Amira Jadoon, who has written a book about the group, said that over the last three years
-K’s capabilities are yet to match its ambitions. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, notes that in July last year seven men were arrested in Germany suspected of planning high-profile attacks and being in contact with -Khorasan has relied primarily on inexperienced operatives in Europe to try to advance attacks in its name.” Fitton-Brown – former coordinator of UN sanctions and threat assessment regarding
has been developing a cost-effective model for external operations that relies on resources from outside Afghanistan, operatives in target countries, and extensive facilitation networks.” Following the Moscow attack, France – which hosts the Olympics this year – raised the terrorist threat level to the maximum.
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi denounced “the crusaders, their allies, and with them the rest of the nations and religions of kufr , all being led by America and Russia.” A year later, -K has also derided the Taliban for “befriending Russians, the murderers of Chechen Muslims.” In 2022, an
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