DNA Explainer: Who are ISIS-K, the terrorist group behind Kabul Airport bomb attack?

Even as the frantic crowds at the gates of the Kabul airport waited for their turn to be evacuated from Afghanistan, fate had it otherwise. ISIS-K struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and at least 13 US troops.

The coordinated explosions tore through crowds of people hoping to board evacuation flights to safety from the Taliban. In no time there were dead bodies scattered, men and women in a tangled mess inside a drainage canal, and wounded people in blood-soaked clothes ferried away to nearby hospitals. 

The attack was carried out as the US forces raced to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31 which is set as the deadline for complete withdrawal. Meanwhile, militant group ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility for the twin attacks.

US President Joe Biden vowed to go after the perpetrators of Thursday's bombing. Biden also said that he had ordered the Pentagon to plan how to strike ISIS-K, the ISIS affiliate that claimed responsibility. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said during televised comments from the White House.

Every evidence we have in hand shows that IS-K cells have their roots in Talibs & Haqqani network particularly the ones operating in Kabul. Talibs denying links with ISIS is identical/similar to denial of Pak on Quetta Shura. Talibs hv leanred vry well from the master. #Kabul

— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 27, 2021

Who is the ISIS-K?

ISIS-K or Islamic State Khorasan Province is the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group that is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Officially founded in January 2015, the ISIS-K is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan.

Within a short period of time, it managed to consolidate territorial control in several rural districts in north and northeast Afghanistan.

In the first three years, it launched attacks against minority groups, public areas and institutions, and government targets in major cities across Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It was set up at the height of IS's power in Iraq and Syria before its self-declared caliphate was defeated and dismantled by a US-led coalition.

The militant group recruits from both Afghan and Pakistani jihadists, especially defecting members of the Afghan Taliban.

ISIS-K has been blamed for some of the worst atrocities in recent years including targeting girls' schools, hospitals, and maternity wards.

ISIS-K is part of the global Islamic State network that seeks to carry out attacks on Western, international, and humanitarian targets.

There are strong links between ISIS-K and the Haqqani network, which in turn is closely linked to the Afghan Taliban.

ISIS-K has major differences with the Taliban, accusing them of abandoning Jihad and the battlefield in favour of a negotiated peace settlement.

Background of the militant organisation

ISIS-K was founded by former members of the Pakistani Taliban, Afghan Taliban, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

One of the group's biggest strengths is its ability to leverage the local expertise of these fighters and commanders.

ISIS-K first started to consolidate territory in the southern districts of Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

It sits on the northeast border with Pakistan and is the site of al-Qaida's former stronghold in the Tora Bora area.

It used its position on the border to garner supplies and recruits from Pakistan's tribal areas and the expertise of other local groups.

Substantial evidence shows that it received money, advice, and training from the Islamic State's core organisational body in Iraq and Syria.