Afghanistan Content Report

May 18  – May 24, 2024

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

Table of contents

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 444, Published May 23, 2024
2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
3. ISIS Amaq Statements
4. Pro-ISIS Message, May 21, 2024
5. Amaq Photos, May 22, 2024
6. Pro-ISIS Al-Azaim Message, May 24, 2024

Main points (Pro-ISIS online chatter)

• The Iranian government condemned the May 17 Bamiyan attack as an act of terrorism.
• The Taliban offered their condolences to Iran following the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others in a helicopter crash on May 19.
• Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi noted that Iran is a significant regional power.
• There were unclaimed explosions in Kabul and Taleqan.

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 444 Published May 23, 2024

• “12 killed and wounded from the ‘coalition nationals’ and the Shiites, and 20 others from the Taliban, in two attacks by the mujahideen in Khorasan.”

“This week, the soldiers of the Caliphate in Khorasan Province carried out an armed attack against a group of Christians from the countries of the Crusader alliance, accompanied by a number of Shiites, in the city of Bamiyan, which contains idols of Buddha, killing or wounding about 12 of them [the Christians and Shiites]. They also shot down about 20 members of the Taliban militia, killing or wounding them, with a powerful explosion that destroyed their bus in their stronghold in Kandahar.”

• “12 Christians and Shiites were killed or wounded.”

“In detail, with the grace of God Almighty, on Friday (9th Dhul-Qa’dah), the soldiers of the Caliphate attacked a number of Christian tourists, from the countries of the Crusader alliance, who were walking around accompanied by a number of Rafidi apostates in the city of Bamiyan in the Bamiyan region in central Afghanistan. The Mujahideen targeted them with machine guns, which led to the killing or wounding of seven Christians and five Shiites, praise be to God. The dead and wounded Christians were from the countries of Spain, Norway, Australia, and Lithuania, which are among the countries involved in the Crusader alliance against the Islamic State and whose princes are constantly inciting the targeting of the citizens of this alliance. Pictures of a number of bodies of dead Christians lying on the ground, next to the bus that was transporting them to the site of the attack, were spread across social media platforms.”

• “Detonation of a car bomb on a Taliban militia bus in Kandahar city.”

• “Guarding the idols!”

“The Taliban militia imposes strict security measures on the city of Bamiyan, as it is a Shiite area on the one hand, and on the other hand a destination for Christian tourists, whom it tries to attract and provide security for to encourage the ‘tourism sector,’ especially with the major economic crisis that is afflicting the militia. It [the Buddha statue] is located on the outskirts of the city. The idols of Buddha, to which the sect belongs, are considered a ‘tourist attraction’ for infidel Buddhism and are visited by tourists from various countries of the world, especially Christians and pagans. The Taliban militia tightens its guard over the area of ​​the idols and its visitors, as it is an important economic source that it relies on to increase its income from illicit money. The irony is that the Taliban, in its first era, had blown up these idols despite the many mediations that were offered to them at the time, but after assuming power and being subjugated by the Crusader countries, they began guarding these idols and seeking to gain cultural profits from them!”

• “Cancellation of tourist trips.”

“One of the direct results of the attack was that a number of companies canceled their ‘tourism plans’ to Afghanistan for fear of further attacks by the Mujahideen. This comes after some militia leaders stated, after the increase in the number of tourists this year, that ‘this is an indication of the improvement of the situation in the country,’ and it is an image that the militia is constantly keen to export abroad, especially to America and the Crusader countries. In this context, the militia claimed to have arrested the perpetrators of the attack, which a private source denied to al-Naba, stressing that this was an attempt by the militia to inspire people with its power on the ground and its control over security and to export more fictitious ‘reassurances’ to Christian tourists outside and inside the country.”

• “A picture from the place where the Caliphate soldiers targeted Christian tourists in the city of Bamiyan.”

• “20 Taliban killed and wounded in an explosion in Kandahar.”

“On a related level, on Monday (12 Dhu al-Qa’dah), the soldiers of the Caliphate detonated an explosive device inside a parked vehicle on a bus carrying members of the apostate Taliban militia while it was traveling on Kabul Station Street in the city of Kandahar, which led to its destruction and the fall of more than 20 dead or wounded among the militia’s ranks, including a leader, praise and gratitude be to God. 

“Following the Taliban’s habit of lying, the militia claimed, through its ‘police spokesman’ in the city, that the bombing resulted in the death of four ‘people’ without stating that they were its members.”

• “Bus monitoring.”

“For his part, a private source reported to al-Naba that the Mujahideen had been monitoring the bus for several days until they were able to accurately determine its route and the times of its exit and entry, and after that, they chose the appropriate method to target it, which is what was shown by the pictures of the monitoring and bombing operation of the bus published by the Khorasan State Media Office, thank God.”

• “Spotting the bus carrying Taliban militia members in Kandahar city.”

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

• May 18: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the May 17 Bamiyan attack as an act of terrorism and expressed “condolences to the families of the victims who died in this accident.” 

“#Followups. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the terrorist attack on Rafidi [a derogatory term for Shiites] tourists and foreign tourists in Bamiyan Province.

“Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described Friday’s shooting in Bamiyan province as a ‘terrorist act.’

“The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman expressed his condolences to the families of the victims who died in this accident.”

• May 18: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an explosion, the cause of which was unknown, near a Taliban police facility in Taleqan.

“#Urgent. An explosion occurred near the Taliban militia police directorate in the Afghan city of Taleqan, Takhar.”

• May 18: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming to show a meeting between Taliban and Houthi officials in Tehran.

“#Followups. A picture of a meeting between leaders of the Taliban militia and leaders of the Houthi militia at the book fair in Tehran.

“#weed

“#Qat.”

• May 19: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the Taliban are standing with Iran “in these difficult circumstances” after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.

“#Followups. Taliban militia, we stand by our sister Iran, the ‘government and people,’ in these difficult circumstances.

“#Al-Qaeda_orphans.”

• May 20: Pro-ISIS post on RocketChat claiming that in a meeting, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed condolences to Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan regarding the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others. The post noted that Muttaqi “offered prayers for the souls of the departed and … emphasized the importance of Iran’s role in regional cooperation, particularly with Afghanistan.” 

• May 20: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram regarding the attack on a bus transporting Taliban members in Kandahar. ISIS claimed credit for the attack on May 20.

“#Urgent. Explosion in Afghanistan.

“#Urgent. The explosion targeted a bus carrying members of the Taliban militia in Kandahar city.

“#Urgent. A car bomb caused the explosion. 

“#Urgent. 20 Taliban militia members were killed and wounded, including a leader, as a result of the explosion.

“#Urgent. Repel ... me ... with the process [sic].”

• May 20: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an unknown explosion in Kabul.

“#Afghanistan. An explosion rocks the eighth district in the city of Kabul.”

• May 22: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that the official Taliban delegation has arrived in Iran to express condolences following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.

“#Urgent. Officially ... the arrival of an official delegation affiliated with the Taliban militia, offering its condolences to you, the rejectionist President of Iran!!!!”

3. ISIS Amaq Statements

• May 19: ISIS claims to have killed or wounded “7 Christians from the Crusader coalition countries and 5 Shiites” in an attack on May 17 in Bamiyan.

“7 Christians from the Crusader coalition countries and 5 Shiites were killed or wounded in an attack by Caliphate soldiers in central Afghanistan.

“By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate attacked a number of Christians from the countries of the Crusader Alliance, who were on a tourist trip accompanied by a number of Shiite apostates, in the city of Bamiyan in the Bamiyan region the day before yesterday, with machine guns, which led to the killing or wounding of 7 Christians and 5 Shiites. Praise be to God.”

• May 19: Additional information regarding the attack in Bamiyan, where several Afghans and Europeans were killed.

“Nationals of coalition countries and Shiites were killed and injured in an armed attack by the Islamic State in central Afghanistan. 

“Amag Agency–Afghanistan–Bamiyan: Christian tourists were exposed to an armed attack in the Afghan city of Bamiyan, home of Buddha statues, in central Afghanistan.

“Security sources in the Islamic State told Amaq Agency that two days ago, Islamic State fighters attacked a tourist bus transporting citizens of coalition countries while they were touring the city. 

“The sources added that the fighters targeted Christian tourists and their Shiite companions with machine guns, killing or wounding 7 Christians and about 5 Hazara Shiites.

“The dead and injured Christians hold different nationalities, including the countries of Spain, Norway, Australia, and Lithuania, the sources explained.

“The sources specified that the attack came in response to the orders of Islamic State leaders to target citizens of coalition countries wherever they are found.

“The city of Bamiyan is a major tourist destination for Christians and idolators because it contains Buddha statues, which are guarded by the Taliban militia, which supervises organizing and securing visits for them.”

• May 20: ISIS claims to have killed or injured over 20 Taliban soldiers, including a leader, in an attack using a car bomb on a bus in Kandahar.

“More than 20 Taliban militia members, including a leader, were killed or injured in a bombing of Caliphate soldiers in the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan.

“By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate detonated a car bomb on a bus carrying members of the apostate Taliban militia, which was traveling on Kabul Station Street in the city of Kandahar, which led to its destruction and the killing and wounding of more than 20 members of the militia, including a leader, praise be to God.”

4. Pro-ISIS Message, May 21, 2024

A pro-ISIS message threatening UN and NGO workers in Afghanistan. The image uses the logos of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The text under the message states that while the Taliban previously attacked UN officials and NGOs working in Afghanistan, once the Taliban took power, they declared the work of international organizations to be lawful. The message goes on to state that this is an example of how the Taliban changed religious law.

5. Amaq Photos, May 22, 2024

“Khorasan Province. Pictures: A car bomb exploded on a Taliban bus in the city of Kandahar in Afghanistan”

6. Pro-ISIS Al-Azaim Message, May 24, 2024

A statement from pro-ISIS al-Azaim media celebrating the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and condemning the Taliban for offering condolences. The message notes that despite the Taliban endorsing nationalism, “they have no national honor at this time.”