The rise of ISIS in Afghanistan: Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K)

"Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K)" is a name used to refer to the presence of the ISIS terrorist organization in the historical Khorasan geography, which includes many countries in the region, particularly Afghanistan and some Central Asian countries. IS-K, which is the branch of ISIS in this region, operates mainly in Pakistan and Afghanistan and relatively in the Central Asian republics, especially Uzbekistan. IS-K, which first officially declared its existence in January 2015, was formed when prominent commanders of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating in Pakistan came together and pledged allegiance to ISIS. The settlement of these commanders, all of Pashtun origin, in regions of Afghanistan such as Nangarhar and Lugar near the Pakistani border, led to the spread of ISIS throughout Afghanistan. The geographic presence and distribution of the organization was shaped by the historical, political, ethnic, religious, and cultural dynamics of the region. In this context, the organization was not only confined to the eastern and southern provinces of Afghanistan, but also began to penetrate the northern provinces of Afghanistan. In this way, it has recruited members from the Uzbek population in a remarkable way. Recently, IS-K is not limited to the Khorasan region, but has also carried out attacks in other countries such as Iran, Türkiye, and Russia. ISIS's attacks outside the Khorasan region, have been conducted by members of the organization of Tajik origin. People who were refugees in Russia and later joined ISIS played an important role in this regard. Regarding this information, the current study examines the reasons for the existence of IS-K. First, the ideological background of ISIS and its counterpart in the religious composition of Afghanistan are discussed. Then, the factors of the internal social dynamics of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact of the failure to consolidate the central government of Afghanistan on the emergence of such organizations were examined. In the following chapters of the thesis, the organizational structure, capabilities, tactics and strategies, actions and effects of IS-K and its reality on the ground during the second Taliban period are examined in the context of regional and international developments.