Afghanistan Content Report

October 26–November 1, 2024

Please note all items in this issue concern ISIS-K

Table of contents

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 467, Published October 31, 2024
2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter
3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

Main points (Pro-ISIS online chatter)

• A Taliban security official who investigated “economic crimes” was murdered by unidentified individuals in Laghman province. 
• The Taliban are hiding the number of their soldiers and officials killed in combat and have asked families to conceal the causes of death and hold funerals at night.
• Pro-ISIS propagandists are pleased with reports of ISIS-K attacks on Shiite Hazaras. 
• A “teacher affiliated with the Taliban” was killed in Taleqan.
• Unidentified militants attacked Pakistani police officers in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
  • Unidentified militants also attacked Pakistani soldiers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

1. ISIS Al-Naba Newsletter Edition 467, Published October 31, 2024

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

2. Pro-ISIS Online Chatter

• October 27: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that “four members of the Afghan Fatemiyoun militia” were killed in an attack in Homs, Syria. The post did not comment on the identity of the attackers.

“#Urgent. Four members of the Afghan Fatemiyoun militia were killed or injured as a result of an armed attack on their position northwest of the Arak gas field, located west of Al-Sukhnah in the Homs desert.”

• October 27: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that there was an unidentified explosion in Kunduz.

“#Urgent. An explosion rocks the Afghan city of Kunduz.”

• October 29: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that a Taliban security official in the field of “economic crimes” was murdered in Mihtarlam, Laghman, after unidentified individuals broke into his home.

“#Urgent. Armed men stormed the house of the Taliban militia’s ‘economic crimes official,’ Peyman Hadi, known as ‘Mullah Ismail Lizari,’ in the third district of Mihtarlam city in Laghman, which led to his death inside his bedroom and the attackers' withdrawal to an unknown location.”

• October 29: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram with additional information on the murder of Taliban economic crimes official Peyman Hadi in Laghman. 

Text: “Local Taliban officials in Laghman say that Peyman Hadi, known as ‘Ismail Lizari,’ an economic crimes official in the provincial security command, was killed by ‘unknown gunmen’ in his home. Abdul Noor Rasouli, the Taliban’s media and culture official in Laghman, said the incident took place at around 11:00 p.m. in the third district of Mihtarlam city on Monday. He added that unknown gunmen entered the bedroom of this Taliban member, and as a result of their shooting [sic], he was killed instantly inside his bedroom.

“Inside his bedroom. He slept and will never wake up again.”

• October 30: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that four Pakistani police officers were wounded in an attack on their bus in Balochistan.

“#Urgent. An armed attack targeted a bus carrying Pakistani police officers in Balochistan, injuring four officers.”

• October 30: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified militants have attacked an army facility in the Sardi Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leading to the death of at least four soldiers and the wounding of five.

“#Urgent. An ‘ongoing’ armed attack targeting a Pakistani army barracks in the Sardi Khel area of ​​Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has resulted in the killing of four soldiers and the injury of five ‘so far,’ including two in critical condition.”

• October 30: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that the Taliban are intentionally concealing the combat deaths of their soldiers, asking families to lie about the causes of death and for funerals to be conducted at night. The post claimed that the Taliban are afraid of appearing unpopular and weak, both to the Afghan people as well as to the U.S.

Text: “Translated from Pashto. Taliban casualties are on the rise. The Taliban’s losses are increasing, and they are hiding their losses. Khati [sic] also asks the families of the Taliban dead to hold funerals at night and tell people that they were killed in a traffic accident or other similar incidents. In addition to Kabul, the Taliban’s losses in the provinces have increased in battles, bombings, and guerrilla attacks. Last week, the Taliban clashed with ISIS in Ghor province, [who] killed several Taliban members, including the commander of the Fateh Force’s operational team [a special forces unit]. Last Friday, two Taliban members were killed in an attack by militants in the Lal Pur district of Nangarhar province, and the mourning ceremony was held late at night. October 30, [20]24”

“The Taliban militia hides its losses for several reasons, including:

“First, fearing that its weakness will appear before its supporters and its approach will be exposed, and why it is suffering all these losses.

“Second, it is afraid of appearing weak before the United States of America, which sends it $40 million every week to fight the terrorists, and its inability and weakness will be revealed, so it resorts to this failed trick that has previously proven its failure in Iraq, where the Shiite settlers used it.

“And other things besides it [sic].”

• October 31: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram stating that unidentified individuals killed two Pakistani police officers in an attack on a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Urgent. A grenade attack targeted a Pakistani police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing two officers.”

• October 31: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram celebrating ISIS attacks on Shiites, as referenced in a recent United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report.

Text: “UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan): During the past three months, about 30 civilians were killed during ISIS attacks in Afghanistan.

“Kabul: The office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that 28 Afghan civilians were killed during ISIS attacks between July and September of the year, in which more than 50 civilians were injured. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan published its quarterly report on the situation in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban on Thursday. Based on the report, the ISIS-Khorasan branch targeted Shiites in these attacks. According to the statement, one person was killed and 13 others were injured, all of them Hazaras, in an ISIS attack on a passenger bus in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of ​​Kabul last August.”

“Follow-ups. Perhaps UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) does not know that even the terrorists [referring to ISIS] are not satisfied with this outcome :)”

• November 1: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that unidentified gunmen killed a “teacher affiliated with the Taliban” in Taleqan.

“Urgent. An armed attack targeted a teacher affiliated with the Taliban militia in the city of Taleqan in the Afghan province of Takhar, which led to his immediate death.”

• November 1: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram repeating claims from the Iranian government that Jaish ul-Adl is affiliated with ISIS, and stating that if so, “it is wonderful,” and if it is not valid, that it will hopefully be “fulfilled.”

“Follow-ups. Iran's mission to the United Nations says that the Army of Justice (Jaish ul-Adl) fighting force in Iran has become subordinate to terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If this is information, it is wonderful. If it is not, then we hope that your allegations will be fulfilled.”

• November 1: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that 29 people were killed or wounded in an attack using an explosive in Mastung, Balochistan. The post noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army, the Pakistani Taliban, or ISIS could have committed the attack.

“Urgent. A booby-trapped bike exploded, targeting a Pakistani police patrol in the Mastung area of ​​Balochistan, killing or wounding about 29 people. The area has several active forces, including the Balochistan Liberation Forces, the Pakistani Taliban militia, and terrorists.”

• November 1: Pro-ISIS post on Telegram claiming that unidentified individuals killed the “candidate” for Balkhab district police director in Sar-e-Pul while he was asleep. The post noted the deceased’s prior dispute with the Taliban.

“Urgent. Armed men stormed the house of the candidate for the position of Balkhab police director of the Taliban militia’s interior ministry, Gul Ahmad Moradi, in the Balkhab district in the Afghan province of Sar-e-Pul and killed him while he was sleeping.

“Muradi was the official of the Hizb al-Wahdat militia (awakening militia) in the districts of Kohistanat and Balkhab and one of the allies of the Afghan party and had previously allied with the Taliban militia to fight the terrorists. A dispute arose between him and the militia after he was accused of stealing medium and heavy weapons and promised in 2022 to hand him the position of Balkhab police [director], but the differences continued until the militants ended them today.”

3. ISIS Amaq/Nashir Statements

• October 31: ISIS claims to have killed a Pakistani police officer in Qamber Khel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

“Khorasan Province. By the grace of Allah Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate targeted a member of the apostate Pakistani police in the village of Qamber Khel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with pistol bullets, which resulted in his injury, praise be to God.”