Afghanistan Content Report

February 8–February 14, 2025

Please note that all items in this issue concern ISIS-K

Table of contents

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 482, Published February 13, 2025
2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements
4. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released February 11, 2025

Main points (Pro-ISIS Online Chatter)

Afghanistan

• A Taliban vehicle was damaged by an explosive device in Taloqan.
• The UN declared that ISIS poses a threat in Afghanistan as well as globally and that “foreigners are flocking to Afghanistan” to join ISIS-K.
• There was an ISIS-K suicide bombing targeting Taliban members lined up at a bank in Kunduz. The number of dead and wounded is unclear. On January 28, the Taliban issued a warning regarding a potential ISIS-K attack on individuals standing in line at banks to collect their salaries.
  • Pro-ISIS propagandists claimed that several Taliban leaders were killed or injured in the Kunduz attack.
  • A pro-ISIS post noted that the attack occurred at an embarrassing time for the Taliban due to the UN meeting.
  • The post noted that the Taliban had sought to minimize the issue of terrorism in Afghanistan, claiming that the threat was exaggerated and that they were providing security within the country. The post claimed that the Kunduz attack exposed the Taliban’s claim as a lie.
  • A post also compared this attack to previous similar attacks in Iraq.
• A suicide bomber also attacked the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul.
  • Arsala Kharoti, the deputy minister for finance and administration at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, was injured.
  • ISIS claimed credit for this attack on February 15.
• There was an explosion in Aybak, Samangan.
• The Taliban Ministry of Education is closing Salafi schools in Nangarhar and Kunar.
• There was an unidentified explosion in front of the statistics office in Taloqan.

Pakistan

• Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack in Balochistan.
• 11 people were killed and seven were injured in an attack on a bus carrying miners in Balochistan.

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 482, Published February 13, 2025

Editorial: “The Core, Not the Footnotes!”

Summary:

• In January 2025, the Taliban banned Kitab al-Tawhid by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of Wahhabism, stating that it is a “false sect.”
• While the Taliban are guilty of “grave worship,” their biggest crime is implementing democracy and secular law, which negates religious governance.
• In banning Kitab al-Tawhid, the Taliban have followed the reasoning of other governments and have adopted the language of counterterrorism and modernist religious scholars.
• ISIS is fully committed to the concept of monotheism.
• The Taliban fight against monotheism because they are implementing secular law while falsely claiming to believe in monotheism. Belief and acting on that belief is all or nothing.
• The Taliban also seeks to curry favor with the international community.

• “Dozens of Taliban militia killed and wounded in a martyrdom operation that hit their gathering in northern Afghanistan.”

“Dozens of Taliban militia were killed and wounded in a martyrdom operation carried out by one of the knights of martyrdom this week against a large gathering of them in the Kunduz region in northern Afghanistan. In the details, with the help of God Almighty, the martyred brother, Abu Ali al-Ansari—may God accept him—set off with his explosive vest on Tuesday (12 Sha’ban) towards a gathering of apostate Taliban militia members in front of a government bank in the city of Kunduz, the center of the Kunduz region, which bears the same name. A special source told Al-Naba that the militia had taken double security measures and deployed military vehicles around the bank. However, the mujahid succeeded in penetrating the fortifications, reaching the gathering, and detonating his explosive vest among them; thanks be to God Almighty. The Taliban militia had allocated this day for its members from the [ministries of] ‘interior’ and ‘defense’ to receive their salaries; therefore, it tightened its security measures around the bank on that day. The result of the blessed operation was more than 60 dead and wounded from the apostate militia, including leaders.”

• “Brother Abu Ali Al-Ansari carried out the martyrdom operation against the Taliban militia gathering in Kunduz.”

• “Security cordon and media blackout.”

“The militia imposed a security cordon around the place and prevented filming the aftermath of the operation and the losses incurred by its members to weave its own story, as is its habit after every major loss it suffers. While the militia police spokesman in Kunduz said that only 13 people were killed and wounded in the explosion, several media sources reported that the toll reached more than 60 dead and wounded. It is worth noting that the attack came after new statements by militia leaders in which they spoke about their success in the war on the Mujahideen and that they ‘do not pose a threat,’ so the Mujahideen’s response to these statements came from the heart of the field, stamped with the remains and blood of militia members, praise be to God.”

• “Similar attacks.”

“This is not the first time that the Caliphate soldiers have targeted militia members in front of their government headquarters, especially gatherings near banks. Similar operations preceded this, the most prominent of which was a martyrdom operation with an explosive belt on a similar gathering in front of a bank in the city of Kandahar less than a year ago, which resulted in dozens of militia [members] dead and wounded.”

• “Taliban militia members killed in the attack.”

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

• February 8: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the United Nations Security Council is meeting to discuss the increase of terrorist activity in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s failure “to limit [terrorist] expansion and eliminate them.”

Text: “The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on threats from the ISIS group on Monday. The meeting will discuss the report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which deals with ISIS threats inside and outside Afghanistan.

“According to the report, which was presented to Security Council members on Friday, April 5, the Khorasan branch of ISIS remains a serious threat, and the group’s propaganda resurgence remains widespread.

“The Security Council meeting comes at a time when concerns have increased about the expansion of ISIS activities in the region, and the group remains a threat to regional and international security.

“Follow-ups. The UN Security Council holds a meeting to discuss the risks of expanding terrorist operations in Afghanistan, as the Taliban militia has failed to limit [terrorist] expansion and eliminate them.”

• February 8: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban protested Uzbekistan’s transfer of seven Blackhawk helicopters to the U.S. The helicopters were flown to Uzbekistan by Afghan military pilots during the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. The post below questions whether the Taliban were involved in the transfer of the helicopters back to the U.S. in an attempt to placate them.

Text: “The Taliban’s Defense Ministry expressed its concern over reports that Uzbekistan transferred seven Afghan Air Force helicopters to the United States, describing this move as unacceptable. It stressed that the aircraft belonged to Afghanistan and must be returned. ‘We do not accept that these helicopters be transferred to the United States for any reason because the people of Afghanistan have the right to defend and question their rights [sic], and neighboring countries must also respect the rights of Afghans. We demand that the United States not increase the obstacles to returning these helicopters to Afghanistan, but rather hand them over to the Afghans instead.”

“Entertainment. The Taliban militia sent helicopters to Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan handed over the helicopters to the Americans. Other sources say that the militia handed them over to America through Uzbekistan after Trump’s orders so as not to be embarrassed in front of its followers.”

• February 8: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that a Taliban vehicle was damaged by an explosive device in Taloqan.

“Urgent. A military vehicle belonging to the Afghan Taliban militia was damaged because of an explosive device that targeted it in front of one of its headquarters in Taloqan, the center of Takhar province.”

• February 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that five Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack in Balochistan.

“Urgent. An armed attack targeting a Pakistani army post in Balochistan resulted in the death of five soldiers.”

• February 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the UN declared that ISIS poses a threat in Afghanistan as well as globally and that “foreigners are flocking to Afghanistan” to join ISIS-K. The post noted that ISIS released a propaganda video from their self-proclaimed Sahel province in West Africa on the same day as the UN meeting.

“Follow-ups. After a long meeting, the United Nations [said]: Terrorists still pose a serious threat not only to Afghanistan but to the entire world, and foreigners are flocking to Afghanistan to join the terrorists there. The United Nations expresses its concerns about terrorists in the African continent (noting that the terrorists decided to release a film on the occasion of their meeting from the same continent that they expressed their concerns about). The United Nations: We are concerned about the capabilities of terrorists despite all the campaigns we have carried out against them.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that there was an explosion in Kunduz targeting Taliban soldiers collecting their pay at a bank. The post claimed that 18 people were killed and at least 45 others were injured and that the Taliban claimed the attack targeted civilians and not soldiers. The post noted that Taliban leaders have claimed to have recently disrupted al-Qaeda networks in the country. ISIS claimed credit for this attack the same day. On January 28, the Taliban issued a warning regarding a potential ISIS-K attack on individuals standing in line at banks to collect their salaries.

“#Report. This morning, a powerful explosion occurred in front of [a] Kabul Bank [branch] in Kunduz among dozens of militiamen who had come to collect their salaries. Al Jazeera TV quoted Taliban sources as saying that 18 people were killed and 45 others were seriously injured in the attack. On the other hand, the militia called the attack an attack on civilians, and its military called the soldiers civilians.

“The attack comes at a time when the militia’s intelligence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and spokesman Zabih Mujahid had partially denied the previous day that there were no more al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan, and a few days ago, the militia’s intelligence had captured some civilians in the north of the country and then claimed that the al-Qaeda network in the north had been completely destroyed.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram with additional information about the attack on Taliban personnel in Kunduz. See https://www.voanews.com/a/five-killed-in-suicide-bomb-blast-in-northeastern-afghanistan-police-say/7970453.html.

“Urgent. A fighter detonated his explosive vest on a large gathering of Taliban security personnel as they gathered to receive their salaries from a bank in the Afghan city of Kunduz, killing and wounding about 80 personnel, including leaders. Local sources said that about 25 people were killed in the initial toll.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram containing photos from the aftermath of the Kunduz attack and stating that the Taliban had previously restricted the distribution of salaries to its members from guarded banks due to a fear of a suicide bombing or similar attack.

“Entertainment. A few days ago, we reported that the Taliban militia had canceled the distribution of salaries in public places and designated heavily guarded banks to distribute the salaries of its members. Today, terrorists attacked them in the banks they had designated. Photos from the explosion site.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban commander of “the fourth security region [of Kunduz]” was killed in the Kunduz attack along with two associates.

“Urgent. Mawlawi Zakaria, the commander of the fourth security region [of Kunduz] for the Taliban militia, was killed in the attack on the Afghan city of Kunduz, along with two of his companions.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram naming two additional Taliban leaders in the security services killed in the Kunduz attack as Mawlawi Ismatullah and Mawlawi Khaliq Muhajir.

“Urgent. Among those killed in the attack on the Afghan city of Kunduz were two leaders in the Taliban militia, Mawlawi Ismatullah and Mawlawi [Khaliq] Muhajir, who are security [personnel] leaders.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Kunduz attack occurred at an embarrassing moment for the Taliban. The post noted that the Taliban had sought to minimize the issue of terrorism in Afghanistan, claiming that the threat was exaggerated and that they were providing security within the country. The post claimed that the Kunduz attack exposed the Taliban’s claim as a lie.

“Observers. The explosion came at a very sensitive and embarrassing time, more than the act itself [sic], as it came a few hours after the United Nations meeting to discuss the danger of terrorists in Afghanistan. [The UN] emphasized the seriousness of the situation at a time when the Taliban issued a statement expressing its condemnation of what it called the exaggeration of the seriousness of the situation and said that it has complete control over the security situation and that the terrorists have been completely eliminated. Today’s attack signed the lie of the militia’s statement, but not in blue ink.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that “unverified local media” in Afghanistan stated that 50 Taliban personnel were killed in the Kunduz attack.

“Urgent. Unverified local media: 50 Taliban killed in Kunduz explosion.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that 30 people were killed in the Kunduz attack. Citing an X (formerly Twitter) account, the post noted that the “Taliban had previously warned against going to banks for salaries” and that the Taliban sought to minimize the threat of ISIS-K in response to the UN meeting held the previous day.

“Follow-ups. Websites: 30 killed in the ranks of the Afghan Taliban militia in a new toll from the Kunduz explosion. The site mentions that the Taliban had previously warned against going to banks for salaries. The site says that the militia yesterday downplayed the danger of terrorists in response to the UN report, but the explosion made it clear that terrorists pose a major and powerful threat.”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that a Taliban “media figure” claimed that a soldier sought to contain the Kunduz suicide bomber by hugging him. The post casts doubt on this claim, stating that 30 or more people were killed.

“Entertainment. A Taliban media figure says that one of the militia members discovered the attacker, hugged him, and then blew himself up to avoid more deaths. 30 dead and says there were no more deaths! What if he didn’t hug him (if his story is true)?”

• February 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that ISIS-K had previously attacked Taliban soldiers who were receiving their salaries in Kandahar on March 21, 2024. The post noted that similar attacks were conducted in Iraq against security forces, and now the tactic had come to Afghanistan. The post stated that the Iraqi National Guard, police, tribal militias, and the Taliban all received money to pay salaries from the U.S.

“Update. In March of last year, the terrorists targeted the Taliban militia in the same way in Kandahar. The policy of targeting others and monitoring them in their gathering places is an old tactic that was one of the first to be implemented by the terrorists in Iraq after 2003, when they targeted gatherings of volunteers for the National Guard and the police in several areas, especially Baghdad, as well as gatherings of Sahwa [U.S. allied tribal forces in Iraq] members while they were receiving salaries from the Americans and inflicted many losses. Now, this successful tactic is being used again in Afghanistan.

“It is worth noting that what unites all the targets (the National Guard, the police, the Sahwa, and the Taliban) is that they receive their salaries from one party, the United States of America.”

• February 12: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram noting that the BBC stated that ISIS-K had adopted “qualitative” (complex and lethal) attacks rather than quantitative (large number of) attacks.

“Follow-ups. BBC on the Kunduz attack the day before yesterday. Terrorists adopt qualitative rather than quantitative tactics in Afghanistan. Any strong operations with high targets [sic].”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that one person was killed and three others were wounded after an explosion in front of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul. See https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/suicide-bomber-sets-off-explosion-near-kabul-government-offices-interior-2025-02-13/.

“Urgent. One dead and three wounded in an initial toll among the Taliban as a result of an explosion in front of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing building in the Afghan capital, Kabul.”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the deputy minister for finance and administration at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Arsala Kharoti, was injured in the Kabul attack. See https://www.afintl.com/en/202502133668.

“Urgent. Afghan Deputy Finance Minister Arsala Kharoti was injured in the Kabul explosion.”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that ISIS-K is targeting Taliban leaders and that the Taliban “is in a state of disintegration.”

“Monitoring. English-speaking account: Terrorists are chasing Taliban militia leaders in the streets of Kabul, and the militia is in a state of disintegration due to the recent strikes that targeted its senior leaders.”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the UN Security Council condemned the Kunduz attack and mockingly proposing that they should prepare a statement of condemnation for the February 13 Kabul attack on the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing.

“#Report. The [United Nations] Security Council, the most bitter enemy of Islam, has condemned the deadly attack on the militia in Kunduz. This morning, a heavy explosion hit a militia minister and senior officials inside the Ministry of Urban Development [and Housing]. Tell the Security Council to prepare a statement of condemnation immediately.”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban are lying about the attack on the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. The post stated that the minister was likely the target and that the Taliban had changed their story regarding the attack.

“#Report. A powerful explosion occurred in the Ministry of Urban Development [and Housing] of the militia, and it is most likely that the minister of the militia was targeted because the explosion occurred inside the ministry in the morning when the minister was on his way to his office.

“The militia has lied four times in the past two to three hours: At first, they said there was nothing, then they said yes, there was an explosion inside the ministry, but there is no exact information, then they said yes, a person who wanted to reach the target was targeted, and now they are saying that the attacker was martyred by the guards at the gate of the ministry. You can tell from this whether the spokespersons of the republic were more skilled in lies or the militias.

“Of course, Zabihullah Mujahid should be removed because that tyrant has lied to the spokespersons of the entire twenty-year period of the republic and left them behind, but compare these remains to see who benefits.”

• February 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that a suicide bomber entered the main corridor of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing in Kabul and waited for employees to arrive before detonating his explosive. The post noted that possibly more than 20 people were killed or injured in the attack, including several high-ranking ministry personnel. The post noted that it was unclear if the minister of urban development, Hamdullah Nomani, was among those injured or killed.

“#Report. Yesterday, an explosion occurred in the main corridor of the Ministry of Urban Development [and Housing] in Macroyan, Kabul, where many employees and officials of the ministry gathered after entering the ministry. The attacker first reached the corridor of the ministry and then waited for the officials to arrive for 15 to 30 minutes. He detonated his explosive vest as soon as many officials of the ministry, including the minister, arrived.

“Some sources within the ministry admit that more than 20 militiamen were killed and injured in the incident, including the deputy minister [for finance and administration], Arsala Kharoti; Abdul Rahim Omari, the head of real estate; the deputy secretary; the deputy director of the ministry’s inspection department; the director of real estate inspection; the block commander; the deputy’s bodyguards; some of the minister’s bodyguards; and others.

“The source does not confirm whether the minister of urban development, Hamdullah Nomani, is also among the victims or not. However, he added that the incident occurred at the same time as the minister entered the ministry, and there is no accurate information yet on whether the minister was hit or escaped.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an explosion in Aybak, Samangan. 

“Urgent. A huge explosion rocks the Aybak area in the Afghan province of Samangan.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that 30 people were killed or wounded in the attack in Samangan. See https://amu.tv/157560/.

“Urgent. 30 dead and wounded in the initial toll of the explosion.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that a bus carrying miners was attacked in Harnai district, Balochistan, and that 11 people were killed and seven were wounded.

“Urgent. An explosion targeted a bus carrying government mine workers in the Shahrag area of ​​Harnai district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, killing 11 and wounding seven others.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that a Tajik court sentenced 30 people linked to ISIS-K to prison terms for planning a mass poisoning during the Nowruz holiday in 2024. See https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/court-tajikistan-jails-over-30-people-attempted-mass-poisoning-linked-islamic-2025-02-14/.

Text: “Tajik court jails more than 30 for mass poisoning linked to Islamic State affiliate.”

“Follow-ups. Tajik authorities claim to have thwarted a mass poisoning of participants in the so-called ‘Nowruz’ holiday.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban Ministry of Education is closing Salafi schools in Nangarhar and Kunar.

“Follow-ups. The Ministry of Education in the Afghan Taliban militia decides to close Salafi schools in the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar,

“A copy of it for [Abu Muhammad] Al-Maqdisi.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an unidentified explosion in front of the statistics office in Taloqan.

“Urgent. An explosion in front of the statistics office of the Taliban militia in the city of Taloqan, the center of Takhar in Afghanistan.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that a tribal commander allegedly allied with Pakistani intelligence was killed by unknown individuals in Quetta.

“Urgent. Gunmen assassinate Duda Khan, the leader of the Pakistani Sahwat forces affiliated with the intelligence, in the Gohar Abad area of ​​Quetta.”

• February 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that unidentified individuals fired mortar shells at Taliban soldiers in Qadis, Badghis.

“Urgent. Mortar shells targeted a site of the Afghan Democratic Taliban militia in the Qadis district of ​​​​Badghis province.”

3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

• February 11: ISIS claims to have killed or wounded dozens of Taliban personnel in a suicide bombing in Kunduz, targeting individuals lining up outside of a bank to receive their salaries. The post claimed that hundreds of Taliban members had gathered in the area and that ‘security leaders’ were among the casualties. The post also noted that the attack occurred despite extra security measures in the area.

“Dozens of Taliban militia killed and injured in a suicide bombing by the Islamic State in Northern Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan—Kunduz—Amaq Agency: Dozens of Taliban militia members were killed and injured in a suicide bombing in ‘Kunduz’ in northern Afghanistan. Security sources told Amaq Agency that a suicide bomber from the Islamic State set out this morning, Tuesday, towards a Taliban militia gathering in the city of ‘Kunduz,’ the capital of the province. The sources added that the attack targeted hundreds of militia members who had gathered near a government bank in the city to receive their salaries. The sources explained that the suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest among them, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, including ‘security leaders.’ The sources confirmed that the attack took place on the day designated for [distribution of] Taliban salaries and came despite the strict security precautions taken by the militia around the attack site.”

• February 11: ISIS claims to have killed or wounded dozens of Taliban personnel in a suicide bombing in Kunduz, targeting individuals lining up outside of a bank to receive their salaries. Please note this is the same attack as in the above Amaq claim.

“Dozens of apostate Taliban militia killed and wounded in a martyrdom operation in northern Afghanistan.

“By the grace of God Almighty, one of the knights of martyrdom, brother Abu Ali al-Ansari—may God accept him—set out towards a gathering of apostate Taliban militia members in front of a government bank in the city of Kunduz, on a day designated for them to receive their salaries, and detonated his explosive vest among them, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, including leaders, praise be to God.”

• February 13: ISIS claims to have injured a Pakistani police officer in Qambar Khel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in an armed attack.

“By the grace of Allah Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted an officer of the apostate Pakistani police, in the village of Qambar Khel in the Khyber region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with pistol bullets, which resulted in his injury, praise be to Allah.”

• February 15: ISIS takes credit for allegedly killing or wounding 10 Taliban members in a suicide bombing in Kabul, referring to the February 13 attack on the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. Please note that this Nashir claim was included despite being released on February 15.

“10 Taliban apostate militia killed and wounded, including a senior official, in a martyrdom operation in Kabul.

“By the grace of God Almighty, one of the knights of martyrdom, Brother Abu Yusuf al-Ansari—may God Almighty accept him—set out towards one of the sovereign headquarters of the apostate Taliban militia in District Nine in the city of Kabul the day before yesterday, and detonated his explosive vest on several officials and guards inside the headquarters, which resulted in the killing and wounding of at least 10, including a prominent official, praise be to God.”

4. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released February 11, 2025

The poster threatens Taliban leadership, asking, “Where are you?” The poster includes an hourglass, indicating that it is only a matter of time before ISIS-K is able to kill Taliban leadership.