Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K)

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In news– Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed responsibility for the attack outside the Kabul airport recently.

About Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K)

• IS-K is an offshoot of the Islamic State or IS, earlier called the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
• It is based in the Khorasan province of Afghanistan. 
• The objective of IS-KP is to establish the wilayat (province) of Khorasan as part of the global caliphate of IS. 
• Khorasan is also the historic name for the region encompassing present day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.

• When the Islamic State was expanding in Syria and Iraq in 2014-15, the IS-K sprang up in Khorasan in eastern Afghanistan as ‘the caliphate’s sword’ in the region. 
• By 2015-16, the IS-Khorasan was already launching terror attacks on the US-led forces in Afghanistan.
• When the group was first formed in Afghanistan, a Pakistani national, Hafiz Saeed Khan was the emir (also spelt as amir) was the head of IS-Khorasan.
• The group also had connections with the Taliban. 
• Hafiz Saeed Khan’s deputy in the IS-Khorasan was a former Talib called Adhul Rauf Aliza.
• The group is currently headed by Shahab al-Muhajir.
• He is an ethnic Arab and is the first chief of the IS-Khorasan to have come from outside South Asia. 

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