Overview
Ismatullah Khalozai is a U.S.-designated financial facilitator of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), ISIS’s affiliate in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, ISIS-K has become a prominent threat in the region, launching a series of high-casualty attacks targeting American nationals, the Taliban, and minority Afghan groups.“Letter dated 21 January 2021 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations Security Council, February 3, 2021, https://undocs.org/en/S/2021/68. On November 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Khalozai as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for his role in financing ISIS-K operations.“Taking Action Against ISIS-K,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/taking-action-against-isis-k/.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Khalozai is an international financial facilitator for ISIS-K. Khalozai reportedly operated a Turkey-based hawala business—an ancient payment system with South Asian roots—to transfer funds that would finance ISIS-K activities. Additionally, to further raise revenue for ISIS-K, Khalozai operated a United Arab Emirates-based financing scheme that involved sending luxury items to international destinations for resale.“Taking Action Against ISIS-K,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/taking-action-against-isis-k/.
Outside of his financing activities, Khalozai has assisted in human smuggling operations for ISIS-K. In one instance, Khalozai personally smuggled an ISIS-K courier from Afghanistan to Turkey.“Taking Action Against ISIS-K,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/taking-action-against-isis-k/. Given Khalozai’s role in ISIS-K, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Khalozai as an SDN on November 22, 2021.“Taking Action Against ISIS-K,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/taking-action-against-isis-k/.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- ISIS
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Financial facilitator, ISIS-K
ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.
United States
On November 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Ismatullah Khalozai as a Specially Designated Global National (SDN) for his role in ISIS-K.“Taking Action Against ISIS-K,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2021, https://www.state.gov/taking-action-against-isis-k/.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023