Afghan Witness analysis shows a significant increase in ISKP attacks across Afghanistan following the Islamic State spokesman's announcing the 'Kill them wherever you find them' campaign in January 2024.
© Afghan Witness, 2023, Kandahar, Afghanistan via Afghan Witness
On 4 January 2024, Islamic State spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari, announced the start of the “Kill them wherever you find them” campaign on al-Furqan, an IS-affiliated media outlet.
Following the announcement, Afghan Witness noted an increased number of attacks in Afghanistan. Since the start of the campaign, ISKP has claimed three attacks across Afghanistan (two in Kabul and one in Kunar). Three further unclaimed attacks, with ISKP trademarks, were noted in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif (Balkh), and Zaranj (Nimroz). If these attacks are indeed the work of ISKP, this marks a level of activity not seen since 2022; it also demonstrates a combination of past ISKP strategies, targeting minority and high-value targets simultaneously.
Read the full report here.