Afghanistan Content Report

January 11–January 17, 2025

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

Table of contents

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 478, Published January 16, 2025
2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements
4. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released January 12, 2025
5. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released January 13, 2025

Main points (Pro-ISIS Online Chatter)

Afghanistan

• A Taliban soldier was abducted in Nangarhar province and executed by unknown individuals.
• The Taliban considers the persecution of Uyghur Muslims to be an internal Chinese matter.
• The Taliban receive support from the U.S. to fight against ISIS-K.
• An American died under unclear circumstances in Kabul.
• The Taliban have continued their crackdown on Salafism in Afghanistan.
  • The Taliban have banned gatherings of Salafis.

Pakistan

• Unidentified armed men attacked a convoy of 40 vehicles carrying food to Shiite neighborhoods in Parachinar, Pakistan.

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 478, Published January 16, 2025

• There were no ISIS-K news items in this week’s al-Naba.

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

• January 11: Pro-ISIS post on Gem Space reposting from Afghan digital news service Zawia News that a Taliban member from Wazir Tangi, Nangarhar, was abducted and executed.

“Zawia News has received these photos and information from the Wazir Tangi area of ​​​​Khogyani district of Nangarhar province, where a Taliban fighter known as Bora was taken from his home by unknown people, went missing for several days, and then his body was found in a bag in a field.

“The slain Taliban was working in Commander Omar Tangiwal’s group.”

• January 11: Pro-ISIS post on Gem Space criticizing the Taliban for wanting close relations with the Chinese government and declaring the persecution of Uyghurs to be an “internal matter.” The post noted that the Taliban made the promise to respect the internal policies of other countries and abandoned religiously mandated fighting due to the Doha Agreement.

“#China_Xinjiang_East_Turkistan!

“A Uyghur mother from Turkestan whose pain can shake the throne, whose innocent little children were taken away by the beastly rulers of China and put in camps.

“There, before the eyes of this believing mother, they will be made into infidels, then they were made to do forced labor. Whatever sighs and cries come out of this mother’s heart will affect your heart even if you do not understand the language!

“Despite such obvious crimes, the apostate Taliban do not look at a beastly country like China as a warlike infidel, nor do they define it as a warlike enemy, but rather consider them their friends, and [this is including] when they are asked about these crimes.

“So, they answer: This is their internal matter. We will not interfere with it!

“Because we made this promise in Doha.”

• January 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the U.S. created an alliance with the Taliban to fight ISIS-K in Afghanistan and will soon do the same with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria to fight against ISIS there. The Taliban are referred to as graduates of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as graduates of Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

Text: “The American newspaper the Sectarian [sic] revealed in a report published today, Saturday, January 11, 2025. that the United States and ‘intelligence efforts’ were able to convince the Taliban to enter into an ‘undeclared’ alliance with the American administration to confront the danger of what is known as ‘ISIS Khorasan’ active inside Afghanistan. The newspaper explained, according to what it translated, the existence of what it described as an unexpected successor to the American administration in the latest round of political developments in the Middle East, confirming through its own sources that the American administration succeeded in recruiting the Taliban in Afghanistan.”

“Follow-ups. This report is dated today. ‘The United States of America succeeded in forming a security alliance with the Afghan Taliban militia to fight terrorism.’

“What is the difference between them and the son of the nationalists in Syria?

“The difference is one.

“This one is a graduate of Al Udeid Air Base.

“And that one is a graduate of Incirlik Air Base.”

• January 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that an American “was found murdered” in a home in Kabul but that the Taliban covered up in the incident. The post refers to Jeff Rigsby, an American man who was staying in Kabul and died of natural causes, according to the Taliban. Please see https://www.afintl.com/202501118507. 

“Urgent. The body of an American was found murdered inside a house in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the Taliban militia is keeping the news secret for fear of angry American reactions.”

• January 11: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Soufan Center’s director of research, Colin Clarke, has written that the Taliban have failed to stop ISIS-K.

Text: “ISIS attacks in Dagestan and Oman have shown the organization’s geographical reach, a trend that is likely to continue next year as it seeks to re-emerge from Syria to Somalia. The group inspired a plot to attack the United States on Election Day in November. The FBI arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi before he could carry out his plan using an AK-47, with which he intended to kill civilians.

“ISIS’s presence in Afghanistan, which the Taliban has failed to curb, will continue to destabilize South Asia, where militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban and the Balochistan Liberation Army, remain growing threats to watch. The former has directly threatened the government in Islamabad, while the latter continues to target Chinese citizens and disrupt security along Beijing’s signature foreign policy initiative, the Belt and Road infrastructure project.”

“Urgent. [Colin] Clarke: ‘The Taliban militia has failed in its war against terrorism.’”

• January 12: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban allow the practice of Shiism in Afghanistan and protect Shiite religious sites. The post accuses the Taliban of agreeing with Shiism “on the issue of seeking help from [entities] other than God.”

“The Taliban militia allowed the Shiites to practice their rituals and kept the temples in Afghanistan.

“This is because the Taliban originally had a Maturidi doctrine that agreed with the Shiites on the issue of seeking help from [entities] other than God.

“But these people claim to be ‘Salafis’ and left the temples to be worshipped by other than God.

“How will you patch it up, O patcher?”

• January 12: Pro-ISIS post on Gem Space claiming that according to Zawia News, an ISIS-K attack on a Taliban police headquarters in Nangarhar was prevented. Please note that it is rare for pro-ISIS online supporters to post about unsuccessful or thwarted attacks.

“A Taliban official at the Nangarhar police headquarters confirmed to Zawia News on condition of anonymity that the police headquarters was attacked on Saturday morning by militants affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group.

“Three ISIS militants wanted to enter the police headquarters compound, but when they tried to clear the Taliban guard and go inside for an operation, they were shot by other [Taliban] militants standing guard. One ISIS militant was killed, and the other two, one of whom was driving a rickshaw, fled the area.

“In a statement after the incident, the Taliban police headquarters for Nangarhar called them ‘armed bandits’ and said that one of them was shot during resistance.

“Immediately after this incident, Taliban fighters in security groups were ordered to be on alert, their voice was broadcast earlier [sic], and warned that if a security incident occurred in anyone’s area after this and the militants escaped, they would be held responsible.”

• January 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an explosion in front of the attorney general’s office in Kabul.

“Urgent. An explosion in front of the office of the attorney general of the Taliban militia in the Afghan capital, Kabul.”

• January 14: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban have banned Salafi gatherings and preaching in Kandahar, threatening those who violate the ban with arrest.

Text: “On 4/18/2023, Mawlawi Abdul Rashid, the head of [Taliban] intelligence in Kandahar, wrote on his X platform account: Today, we summoned several Salafi scholars and hadith imams from Kandahar province and told them that for Salafism and Wahhabism, any kind of small or large gatherings, preaching and advocacy are completely forbidden. If anyone is caught in the same situation after this, they will be held responsible.”

“The Taliban bans Salafi gatherings, prevents them from preaching, and threatens them with arrest if a gathering takes place.”

• January 15: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban are cracking down on Salafism in Afghanistan.

“Entertainment. One of the Taliban’s media arms says that the reason for banning the books of Imam al-Tamimi and Ibn Taymiyyah is that the terrorists take all their instructions and beliefs from them, and we, in turn, say to you that you are right.

“We also call on you to confiscate the Quran and the Sahihs [collection of Hadiths] as well because the terrorists rely on them primarily and have not deviated from their teachings by a hair’s breadth.”

• January 16: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that unidentified armed men attacked a convoy of 40 vehicles carrying food to Shiite neighborhoods in Parachinar, Pakistan. The post claimed that four security personnel were killed in the attack, four trucks were destroyed, and the convoy did not continue to the city. Please see https://amu.tv/151325/.

“Follow-ups. Armed men attacked a food convoy of 40 vehicles and trucks [sic] that was heading to Shiite areas in the Pakistani city of Parachinar, which resulted in the injury of four security personnel, the destruction of four trucks, and the escape of the rest without completing their journey.”

• January 16: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that an unknown number of police officers from Pakistan’s Interior Ministry were killed in an attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Urgent. Armed attack in Banda Tehsil area of ​​Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, targeting Interior Ministry officers, killing them instantly.”

• January 16: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban have instituted “religious freedom in Afghanistan” but do not allow the practice of Salafism because it is associated with ISIS.

“Follow-ups. After a huge uproar on social media and attacks on the militia, even those who were loyal to it yesterday, due to the militia banning Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyyah. Media figures for the Taliban militia say that they have religious freedom in Afghanistan and allow the study and teaching of Sufism, Maturidism, Ash’arism, Pantheism, Sikhism, Shiism, Buddhism, and all religions except Islam because the terrorists apply it to the letter, and this represents a threat to Afghan national security and is against the terms of the agreement of the American Al Udeid [Air] Base in Qatar.”

3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

• January 17: ISIS claims to have killed a Taliban soldier in Baghlan province and taken his rifle.

“Khorasan Province: By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted a member of the apostate Taliban militia in the village of Kaltaqol in the Nahrain region in Baghlan with machine guns, which led to his death and the seizure of his rifle, praise be to God.”

4. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released January 12, 2025

• The image refers to President-elect Trump’s demands that the U.S. cut all cash shipments to Afghanistan.

5. ISIS-K-Linked Al-Azaim Media Poster, Released January 13, 2025

• The image condemns growing Taliban-Indian relations. The photo shows Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and another Taliban leader wearing Hindu bindis.