- ISIS-K leader Shahab al-Muhajir served as a special guard for Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum during the US occupation.
- Many reports have indicated that former members of Afghanistan’s US-trained intelligence service and elite military units had joined ISIS groups.
- Russia had expressed concern over US cooperation with ISIS militants in Afghanistan, mentioning that helicopters, weapons, and ammunition were supplied to ISIS by the US since 2017.
Several recent reports reveal that the perpetrators of the heinous massacre at Crocus City Hall were allegedly recruited via a Telegram channel administered by members of ‘Wilayat Khorasan’, also recognized as ISIS-K. As we delve deeper into the motive behind this branch of ISIS, here are some essential facts and clues linking the US to these notorious jihadists.
‘Wilayat Khorasan’ is considered to be an affiliate of ISIS operating in Afghanistan. Its most recent major terrorist attacks have targeted Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia. They view the Taliban, Iran, Russia, China, and the US as their main enemies. However, things are not so simple with the last country on the list.
In June 2020, Shahab al-Muhajir (known as Sanaullah Ghafari) became ISIS-K’s leader. Previously, he served as a special guard for Afghan Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum during the US occupation. Ghafari was authorised to transport weapons, as confirmed by an ID card obtained by Afghan and US journalists in 2017.
In 2021, US media reports indicated that some former members of Afghanistan’s US-trained intelligence service and elite military units had joined ISIS groups. This phenomenon mirrors what happened in Iraq, where former officers of Saddam Hussein’s army, released from Abu Ghraib prison, joined the newly-formed ISIS in the 2000s.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2017 asserted that the US government had allowed ISIS to thrive in Afghanistan, branding the jihadi groups to be a “tool” of the US. “I do not differentiate at all between ISIS and America,” he argued.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2017 asserted that the US government had allowed ISIS to thrive in Afghanistan, branding the jihadi groups to be a "tool" of the US.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has raised concerns about potential US cooperation with ISIS militants in Afghanistan. Russia mentioned that unmarked helicopters, reportedly delivering reinforcements, weapons, and ammunition to ISIS in areas controlled by jihadists, have been observed since 2017. Moreover, Russian Presidential Special Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov noted that an influx of militants had flooded into Afghanistan after the defeat of ISIS in Syria.
On Thursday, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Mohammad Suheil Shaheen told media that ISIS in Afghanistan reached its zenith during the US occupation, when it was based in the northeastern region. The Taliban successfully expelled the jihadists, who now operate training centres abroad under the supervision of foreign intelligence services.
There are many other facts and pieces of information available that indicate the USA’s unholy nexus with terrorist groups, as they act as tools for US policies. The USA has tried the same tactics in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.
The world should be aware of this, and we must unequivocally reject and condemn this unholy alliance.
(Aayush is a post-graduate student in International Relations at Kalinga University, Raipur. Views and opinions expressed are the author’s own)
References:
- https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/us-isis-syria-iraq
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/03/27/world/politics/moscow-shooting/
Dr. Niranjan B Poojar 
Bhagyashree Gupta