Afghanistan Content Report: January 4–January 10, 2025

Afghanistan Content Report

January 4–January 10, 2025

Please note all items in this issue concern ISIS-K

Table of contents

  1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 477, Published January 9, 2025
  2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
  3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

 

Main points (Pro-ISIS Online Chatter)

Afghanistan

  • Two Taliban-affiliated clerics were killed in Baghlan on January 7. ISIS took credit for the attack the same day.
  • Pakistan has allegedly killed at least 46 people in airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, near the border.
  • The Taliban has banned the book Kitab al-Tawheed [The Book of Monotheism] by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
  • Pro-ISIS online propagandists have accused the Taliban of falsely claiming to have instituted religious law but not carrying out religiously mandated punishments.
  • An “explosive device” detonated at a mine in Nuristan, killing one mine employee and injuring another.
  • The Taliban “announced the permissibility of ‘killing’ the leaders and members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.”
  • A Taliban military leader named Abdul Wasi was killed by Pakistani army fire in Kunar.

Pakistan

  • The Pakistani Taliban “kidnapped 16 employees and a scientist of the Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission” and are holding them “to bargain with.”
  • Unidentified militants murdered a “leader” in Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Mir Ali, North Waziristan.
  • On January 9, multiple Pakistani soldiers and police officers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
  • Unidentified gunmen killed a village mayor and his brother in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
  • Five people were killed in an attack on a vehicle in Peshawar.
  • “A local group” attacked Pakistani soldiers on leave in Turbat, Balochistan, killing six, including a senior officer, and wounding 35.
  • Unidentified gunmen killed two police officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

 

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 477, Published January 9, 2025

isis al naba newsletter 477
  • “A Taliban militia leader was killed and another was injured by Mujahideen fire in northern Afghanistan.”

“This week, the soldiers of the Caliphate in Khorasan Province killed a Taliban militia leader and wounded another in the Baghlan region in northern Afghanistan. In detail, with the grace of God Almighty, on Tuesday 7 Rajab, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted two local leaders of the apostate Taliban militia in the village of Khawaja Khan in the Baghlan region with machine guns, which led to the death of one of them and the injury of the other, praise be to God. A special source told al-Naba that the two leaders are people of extreme hostility to the people of monotheism in general and the Mujahideen in particular, and they are from the polytheistic Saifia sect that the Taliban militia granted leadership positions after taking power in Afghanistan.”

 

  • “The two leaders killed and injured in the Mujahideen attack in the village of Khawaja Khan in the Baghlan region.”
isis naba jan 92025

 

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

  • January 4: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that five people were killed in an attack on a vehicle in Peshawar.

“Urgent. An armed attack targeted a vehicle in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing five people inside.”

 

  • January 4: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that “a local group” attacked Pakistani soldiers on leave in Turbat, Balochistan, killing six, including a senior officer, and wounding 35.

“News. An explosion targeted a bus carrying Pakistani army personnel on leave in the Turbat area of ​​Balochistan, killing six soldiers, including a senior officer, and wounding 35 others. A local group claimed responsibility for the attack.”

 

  • January 4: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram showing snow in South Waziristan, claiming it is an area where ISIS operates.

“#Monitoring. This is how the South Waziristan region of Pakistan looked today, which is considered an area of ​​operations for terrorists.”

 

  • January 5: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram citing Bild newspaper, claiming that Pakistan has killed at least 46 people in airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan near the border. The post also cites Bild’s claim that the Taliban has “deployed about 15,000 soldiers” to the area.

“Follow-ups. German newspaper Bild: Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 46 people.

“Bild newspaper: Pakistan and Afghanistan have been exchanging strikes in the border area for more than a week.

“Bild newspaper: The Afghan Taliban militia has deployed about 15,000 soldiers and military equipment on the Pakistani border.”

 

  • January 5: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that there was an unidentified explosion in Herat.

“Urgent. An explosion was heard in the first security zone in the Afghan city of Herat.”

 

  • January 6: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified gunmen killed two police officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Urgent. An armed attack targeted a police officer and his companion in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which led to their immediate death.”

 

  • January 7: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban has banned the book “Kitab al-Tawheed,” [The Book of Monotheism] by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. The post noted that the Taliban “are now fighting against the oneness of Allah in the name of protecting national interests.”

“#Report. The militia ruling Afghanistan has banned the famous Sunni book Kitab al-Tawheed [The Book of Monotheism] in the country, calling it against national interests. It is worth noting that the book only focuses on the oneness of Allah and proves His oneness.

“Analysts believe that the militias are now fighting against the oneness of Allah in the name of protecting national interests.”

 

  • January 7: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram accusing the Taliban of not implementing religious law. The text stated that the Taliban sentenced a woman in Waygul to 39 lashes for adultery and that a man and a woman in Kabul were each sentenced to 39 lashes and imprisonment. The post noted that so far in 2025, the Taliban has reported six cases of religiously mandated punishments.

“God Almighty says 100 lashes. The Taliban says 39 lashes and imprisonment. Then they tell you about their implementation of sharia law.”

 

  • January 7: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified gunmen killed a village mayor and his brother in Tank district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Urgent. An armed attack in the Pakistani district of Tank targeted a village mayor and his brother, killing them instantly.”

 

“Urgent. At least six members of the Pakistani army were killed in an explosion that targeted their convoy in the Poganzan area of ​​​​Zamuran in Balochistan. After the explosion, two helicopters arrived in the aforementioned area to evacuate the dead and wounded.”

 

  • January 7: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that two senior Taliban clerics were killed in Baghlan. ISIS took credit for the attack the same day. Please see https://www.afintl.com/en/202501082608/. 

“Urgent. An armed attack targeted two senior muftis of the Afghan Taliban militia, Hamdullah [Mohammadi] and [Abdul] Razzaq, in the province of Baghlan a short while ago, which led to the death of Razzaq and the serious injury of Hamdullah.

“Razzaq is indicated in red.”

 

  • January 7: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram with additional information on the identities of the two individuals attacked in Baghlan.

Text: “Sources reported that Abdul Razzaq, an imam of a mosque and a teacher at a religious school in the central Baghlan region, was killed in the attack. The sources confirmed that Hamdullah Mohammadi, the preacher of the New City Mosque in the central Baghlan region, who was injured in the attack, was taken to the hospital. According to the sources, Hamdullah Mohammadi’s health condition is critical. The sources added that Mawlawi Hamdullah Mohammadi is a strong supporter of the Taliban and supports the group’s actions in his sermons.

“Monitoring.”

 

“Follow-ups. In an unprecedented move that caused great concern among the Taliban militia, Trump demands cutting off U.S. funding to the Taliban militia, which amounted to about two billion dollars over 3 years.”

 

“#Follow-ups. The Pakistani Taliban militia kidnapped 16 employees and a scientist of the Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission and took them to an unknown location. Then the militia broadcast a short video clip showing the employees in order to bargain with them.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified gunmen killed a former prosecutor for the National Directorate of Security in Badakhshan.

“Urgent. Armed men attacked the former Afghan National Directorate of Security prosecutor Ikramuddin in the Baharak district of ​​Badakhshan, which led to his immediate death.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that 10 Pakistani police and military forces have been killed and 20 wounded in the past 12 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

“#Follow-ups. Sporadic attacks targeting Pakistani security forces and the army in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan resulted in about 10 deaths and twice as many injuries during the past 12 hours.”

 

“#Monitoring. After meeting Gideon bin Zayed, Gideon's brothers meet in Abu Dhabi.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified militants murdered a “leader” in Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in Mir Ali, North Waziristan.

“Urgent. Militants assassinate a leader of the Pakistani Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Farmanullah, in the Mir Ali area of ​​North Waziristan.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that an “explosive device” detonated at a mine in Nuristan, killing one mine employee and injuring another.

“Urgent. An explosive device exploded at a mine in the Afghan province of Nuristan, killing an employee and wounding another.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that Abdul Kabir, who was formerly the third deputy prime minister for political affairs of Afghanistan, was appointed to replace Khalil Haqqani following the latter’s assassination.

Text: “Based on the decree of his eminence Amir al-Mu’minin, may God protect him, former political deputy to the prime minister, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, has been appointed as the head of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs. May Allah (glory be to Him) grant him success in carrying out his duties in the light of the Holy Law of Islam.”

“Update. The Afghan Taliban militia appoints Abdul Kabir as a replacement for [Khalil] Haqqani, who was assassinated by the terrorists, causing a violent shock among the militia.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban “announced the permissibility of ‘killing’ the leaders and members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.” 

“Entertainment. In a ‘scientific’ conference of the Taliban militia, the so-called scholars of the Afghan Taliban militia announced the permissibility of ‘killing’ the leaders and members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

“Noting that Hizb ut-Tahrir slightly opposed the Taliban rule and does not have any armed wing, but rather calls for resolving the dispute through the United Nations :) and the Taliban is pleading to restore its seat in the United Nations.”

 

  • January 9: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that unidentified gunmen attacked a security post in Mastung, Balochistan, capturing weapons and burning the outpost. 

“Urgent. A few moments ago, gunmen attacked a Pakistani security guard post in Mastung, Balochistan, causing the personnel to flee and abandon their weapons. The attackers seized them and set fire to the post.”

 

  • January 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that a Taliban military leader named Abdul Wasi was killed by Pakistani army fire in Kunar.

“Urgent. An armed attack targeted a military leader, Abdul Wasi, in the Taliban militia in the province of Kunar on the Afghan-Pakistani border, which led to his immediate death. The militia accuses the Pakistani army of shooting him.”

 

3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

  • January 7: ISIS claims to have killed one local Taliban leader and wounded another, in an armed attack in the village of Khawaja Khan, Baghlan.

“By the grace of Allah Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted two local leaders of the apostate Taliban militia, in the village of Khawaja Khan, in the Baghlan region, with machine guns, which led to the death of one of them and the injury of the other, praise be to Allah.”

isis statement jan 7 2025
Counterpoint Series
Afghanistan