Alwaght- Over 10,000 ISIS terrorist group loyalists are based in the remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, a new project report.
The project by the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) was released as concerns grow following that increasing efforts by ISIS loyalists to expand presence in the region, including parts of southern and central Asia under the terror group’s so-called Khurasan province.
The report was based on interviews with ISIS members, village elders, members of other insurgent organizations in the area – mainly Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – and local-level government officials.
In a commentary, Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, Associate Fellow, RUSI, says there are around 7,000–8,500 ISIS terrorists inside Afghanistan and 2,000–3,000 based in Pakistan, citing different sources (ISIS cadres themselves, Afghan security sources, Pakistani security sources and Iranian sources).
These figures are inclusive of all active ISIS members, both fighters and support elements, according to the commentary piece, adding that the loyalists of the terror started popping up in the second half of 2014 all over Afghanistan after commanders of Taliban and other terrorists groups switched sides.
ISIS affiliates continue to face resistance from the Afghan Taliban as well Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan who seems to be preparing an attack against them, a move that could slow the recruitment of the terror group, according to the research report.
The research report, citing ISIS sources, also revealed that affiliates of the terror group have been coming under pressure from some of its donors to increase activities in Central Asia, using its well-developed contacts with Central Asian extremist groups in northern Afghanistan.
The report also notes that, “In order to establish its credentials vis-à-vis donors and potential recruits, ISIS terrorists will have to increasingly target the Afghan government, and Russian, Iranian and Western interests. But does it have the ability to hurt these actors? For that, it will need capabilities that it has not yet demonstrated and not just ‘numbers’ of fighters.”
United Nations revealed in September 2015 that ISIS terrorist group is recruiting fighters in 25 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
“The number of groups and individuals who are openly declaring either loyalty to or sympathy with ISIS continues to grow in a number of provinces in Afghanistan,” the report said.
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In Focus
Ansarullah
A Zaidi Shiite movement operating in Yemen. It seeks to establish a democratic government in Yemen.
Shiite
represents the second largest denomination of Islam. Shiites believe Ali (peace be upon him) to be prophet"s successor in the Caliphate.
Resistance
Axis of Resistances refers to countries and movements with common political goal, i.e., resisting against Zionist regime, America and other western powers. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Palestine are considered as the Axis of Resistance.
Persian Gulf Cooperation Council
A regional political u n i o n consisting of Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq.
Taliban
Taliban is a Sunni fundamentalist movement in Afghanistan. It was founded by Mohammed Omar in 1994.
Wahhabism & Extremism
Wahhabism is an extremist pseudo-Sunni movement, which labels non-Wahhabi Muslims as apostates thus paving the way for their bloodshed.
Kurds
Kurds are an ethnic group in the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region, which spans adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. They are an Iranian people and speak the Kurdish languages, which form a subgroup of the Northwestern Iranian branch of Iranian languages.
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949.
Islamic Awakening
Refers to a revival of the Islam throughout the world, that began in 1979 by Iranian Revolution that established an Islamic republic.
Al-Qaeda
A militant Sunni organization founded by Osama bin Laden at some point between 1988 and 1989
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Thousands of ISIS Terrorists Operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan: Report
