UN Security Council raises alarm over IS-K activities in Afghanistan

During a briefing to the Security Council of the United Nations on the 10th of February, counter-terrorism officials highlighted the Afghan-based Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K) as one of the most dangerous branches of the organisation, with a history of high-profile attacks against local Afghan civilians and members of the Taliban de facto government. In addition, Vladimir Voronkov, UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, underlined how IS-K poses a threat to neighbouring countries and beyond, with its members and supporters reportedly planning attacks in Europe and seeking recruits from Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Representatives of other major countries shared similar concerns, with the exception of Munir Akram, Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, who questioned the validity of these claims and denied that IS-K recruitment efforts were active in his country. The Taliban authorities have not commented on these claims, but in recent years they have also repeatedly downplayed the extent of IS-K’s capabilities, claiming that counter-terrorism forces have eliminated almost all of their hideouts. Recent incidents, including the death of Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees, in December 2024, show that IS-K retains the ability to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, including against high-ranking government officials.