On
July 23, a suicide bombing targeting the Hazara people at a peaceful
demonstration killed an estimated 80, and 230 were injured. While the
Taliban denied responsibility for the attack, the ISIS was quick to
claim it. In the last year, ISIS has gained traction in Afghanistan
under its banner of ISIS-Khurasan, an ambitious project to include
Afghanistan and Pakistan in one province under ISIS rule. This movement
mainly consists of renegades of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban,
grouped along the northeastern part of Afghanistan that shares its
border with Pakistan. Following the attack on the Hazara people, seen by
many as an enabler of sectarianism, a firefight led to the death of
Saad Emarati, a key commander of the ISIS-K. US military spokesperson
Brigadier General Charles Cleaveland took this opportunity to reveal his
optimism and said: “We think that Daesh is under pressure”, while
analysts discussed the possibility of skirmishes in the organization
following the death of their leader, which could possibly have a serious
impact on the presence of the group in Afghanistan. Whether or not this
optimism is grounded in reality is a question that needs to be
addressed. Is ISIS a force to be reckoned with? Is the ISIS dream of a
Khurasan province close to coming true?Monday 1 August 2016
The ISIS Franchise
On
July 23, a suicide bombing targeting the Hazara people at a peaceful
demonstration killed an estimated 80, and 230 were injured. While the
Taliban denied responsibility for the attack, the ISIS was quick to
claim it. In the last year, ISIS has gained traction in Afghanistan
under its banner of ISIS-Khurasan, an ambitious project to include
Afghanistan and Pakistan in one province under ISIS rule. This movement
mainly consists of renegades of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban,
grouped along the northeastern part of Afghanistan that shares its
border with Pakistan. Following the attack on the Hazara people, seen by
many as an enabler of sectarianism, a firefight led to the death of
Saad Emarati, a key commander of the ISIS-K. US military spokesperson
Brigadier General Charles Cleaveland took this opportunity to reveal his
optimism and said: “We think that Daesh is under pressure”, while
analysts discussed the possibility of skirmishes in the organization
following the death of their leader, which could possibly have a serious
impact on the presence of the group in Afghanistan. Whether or not this
optimism is grounded in reality is a question that needs to be
addressed. Is ISIS a force to be reckoned with? Is the ISIS dream of a
Khurasan province close to coming true?
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