Afghanistan Content Report

March 9 – March 15

Please note that all items this issue are concerning ISIS-K

Table of contents

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 434, Published March 14, 2024
2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
3. ISIS Amaq Statements
4. Pro-ISIS-K Al-Azaim Pamphlet “Ramadan the Month of Conquests,” Released March 9, 2024
5. Pro-ISIS-K Al-Azaim Pamphlet “Ramadan Gifts,” Released March 9, 2024

Main points (Pro-ISIS online chatter)

• Criminal punishments handed down by the Taliban do not correspond to religiously mandated punishments.
• Attacks by unknown individuals have occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• The governor of Badakhshan Province allegedly asked local officials to report suspected Salafist imams to Taliban intelligence. 
• Taliban envoys visited Moscow to conduct talks with Russian officials. 

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 434, Published March 14, 2024

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

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

• March 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram criticizing the Taliban for sentencing bandits to six years in prison instead of a religiously mandated punishment. The post mockingly congratulates the Taliban for abandoning their religion in exchange for “the world of their guardians.”

“#Khorasan. The punishment for banditry in the religion of the #apostate_Taliban militia is six years in prison.

“Congratulations to the [obscene] who were disgraced by selling their religion and their hereafter for the world of their guardians.”

• March 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that three people were killed and an undeclared number were injured when a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“#Pakistan. A motorcycle bomb exploded, killing three people and wounding others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

• March 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban claimed that the month of Shaban would end on Monday.

“#Khorasan. The apostate #Taliban militia announces that tomorrow, Monday, [is] the completion of the month of Shaban.”

• March 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban then reversed their decision and declared that Monday was the beginning of Ramadan.

“#Concrete. The apostate #Taliban militia retracts its official #decision and announces that tomorrow, Monday, is the first of Ramadan.

“#farce.”

• March 10: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the anti-Taliban resistance (likely the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan) declared a ceasefire for Ramadan.

“#Khorasan. The resistance militia in Afghanistan announced in a statement the suspension of its operations against the apostate Taliban militia during the month of Ramadan.

“She [sic] said that she [sic] would not attack if the apostate Taliban militia attacked her first.”

• March 11: Pro-ISIS post on RocketChat alleging that two Pakistani police officers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

• March 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the governor of Badakhshan Province asked officials to report religious leaders who perform eight raka’ats (units of prayer) of the Taraweeh ritual to Taliban intelligence (the General Directorate of Intelligence) because it is allegedly associated with Salafism.  

“#Khorasan. The tyrant of Badakhshan Province, the apostate Ayub Khalid, sent a confirmation to the provincial department of Hajj and Religious Affairs asking him to identify and inform the intelligence of the apostate #Taliban militia about the imams who perform eight raka’ats of Taraweeh.

“Because eight raka’ats in Taraweeh is a Salafist heresy forbidden in the religion of the saints of the [obscene] of #the apostate Al-Qaeda.”

• March 13: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that a group of Taliban envoys, including Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, visited Moscow to meet with Russian officials. The post alleged “that the Taliban are just traitors and spies.”

“Russia - A Taliban delegation visits Moscow and meets with Russian officials.

“To know that the Taliban are just traitors and spies.”

3. ISIS Amaq Statements

There were no Amaq claims of responsibility for Afghanistan between March 9 and March 15.

4. Pro-ISIS-K Al-Azaim Pamphlet “Ramadan the Month of Conquests,” Released March 9, 2024

A 29-page Pashto document released on Telegram on March 9. The pro-ISIS pamphlet encourages fighting and committing attacks during the month of Ramadan.

5. Pro-ISIS-K Al-Azaim Pamphlet “Ramadan Gifts,” Released March 9, 2024

A 16-page Pashto document released on Telegram on March 9. The pro-ISIS pamphlet encourages fighting during Ramadan and reminds the reader not to forget individuals who are held as prisoners.