What Happened to Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K)?
ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) emerged in 2015 as a regional affiliate of the Islamic State, primarily active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. After a period of decline, the group experienced a resurgence following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, shifting its strategy to include high-profile international attacks in countries like Iran and Russia. As of mid-2026, ISIS-K remains a persistent and evolving global threat, actively recruiting from Central Asia and leveraging advanced technologies for propaganda and operations, despite ongoing counter-terrorism efforts by the Taliban and international forces.
Quick Answer
ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has evolved into a significant and expanding global terrorist threat, particularly since 2021. While maintaining its presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the group has increasingly focused on external operations, notably carrying out mass-casualty attacks in Iran and Russia in 2024. As of August 2026, UN and US intelligence reports confirm that ISIS-K continues to exploit instability, rebuild its capabilities, and pose an enduring threat to regional and international security, actively recruiting from Central Asian states and utilizing advanced tactical equipment and propaganda.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline15 events
Formation of ISIS-Khorasan
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) is formally established by disaffected members of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups, pledging allegiance to ISIS.
First Emir Hafiz Saeed Khan Killed
Hafiz Saeed Khan, ISIS-K's first emir, is killed in a U.S. airstrike in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, marking a significant blow to the group's early leadership.
U.S. Drops 'Mother of All Bombs' on ISIS-K Base
The United States drops its most powerful conventional weapon, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, on an ISIS-K cave and tunnel complex in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
Strategic Shift to Urban Warfare
Following the loss of most of its territory, ISIS-K undergoes a significant organizational restructure and shifts its strategy towards urban warfare, consolidating operations in Afghanistan and parts of northwestern Pakistan.
Kabul Airport Attack During U.S. Withdrawal
ISIS-K claims responsibility for a suicide bombing outside Kabul's airport during the chaotic U.S. evacuation, killing 13 American service members and at least 169 Afghans. This attack highlights the group's resurgence after the Taliban takeover.
Attack on Russian Embassy in Kabul
ISIS-K claims responsibility for a suicide bombing near the entrance of the Russian embassy in Kabul, killing two embassy staff members and several Afghan civilians, demonstrating its targeting of international interests.
Twin Bombings in Kerman, Iran
ISIS-K carries out twin suicide bombings during a memorial procession for Qassem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran, killing 94 people. This marks a significant expansion of its external operations.
Crocus City Hall Attack in Russia
Four Tajik ISIS-K gunmen launch a deadly attack on a concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia, killing 151 people. This is the group's first attack beyond Afghanistan's immediate neighbors and a major international incident.
ISIS-K Plot Disrupted in the U.S.
U.S. officials arrest eight Tajik men in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia, reportedly involved in an ISIS-K plot within the United States, with connections to a larger cell in Central Europe.
U.S. Intelligence Warns of Expanding ISIS-K Threat
The U.S. intelligence community's 2025 annual threat assessment warns that ISIS-K remains the most capable and dangerous faction of the extremist group, with growing ambitions to strike targets in the West, including the United States.
ISIS-K Afghan Terrorist Arrested in U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests Jaan Shah Safi, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under 'Operation Allies Welcome,' for providing support to ISIS-K.
Attack on Chinese Restaurant in Kabul
ISIS-K claims responsibility for a bombing at a Chinese restaurant in Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan, killing seven people, including one Chinese national.
Turkish Arrest Highlights ISIS-K Hubs in Pakistan
The arrest of an ISIS-K member by Turkey's intelligence organization draws attention to the group's operational hubs in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, where propaganda materials were produced.
UN Report: Taliban Unable to Suppress ISIS-K Threat
A UN Security Council monitoring report states that the Taliban have been unable to suppress the terrorist threat in Afghanistan, identifying ISIS-K as the greatest threat to both the Taliban and the broader region.
UN Security Council Amends Sanctions List for ISIS-K
The UN Security Council Committee amends its sanctions list for ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida, including updates related to ISIS-K, reflecting ongoing international efforts to counter the group.
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🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) was formally established in January 2015 by disaffected members of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant factions who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State core group. Its initial objective was to destabilize and replace existing governments within the historic Greater Khorasan region, encompassing parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia, with a caliphate governed under a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
Initially, ISIS-K focused on gaining and holding territory in eastern Afghanistan, particularly Nangarhar province, and conducting attacks against civilians, the Afghan government, and coalition forces. However, the group faced significant pressure from U.S. forces, the Afghan government, and the Afghan Taliban, leading to the deaths of several leaders, including its first emir, Hafiz Saeed Khan, in 2016. By early 2019, ISIS-K had lost most of its territory and shifted its strategy towards urban warfare and high-profile attacks.
A key turning point for ISIS-K was the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and the U.S. troop withdrawal in August 2021. The subsequent release of hundreds of ISIS-K members from prisons and the instability created a permissive environment for the group to resurge. ISIS-K quickly asserted itself as a primary adversary to the new Taliban regime, launching numerous attacks against the Taliban, ethnic and religious minorities (especially Shia Hazaras), and international targets within Afghanistan.
Since late 2023 and throughout 2024, ISIS-K demonstrated a significant shift towards external operations beyond its traditional operating areas. Notable attacks include twin suicide bombings in Kerman, Iran, in January 2024, killing 94 people, and the mass-casualty attack on Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Russia, in March 2024, which killed 151. These attacks, alongside thwarted plots in Europe and the United States, highlighted ISIS-K's expanding reach and intent to internationalize its agenda, leveraging recruitment from Central Asian nationals, particularly Tajiks.
As of August 2026, ISIS-K remains a persistent and evolving threat. A UN Security Council monitoring report in August 2026 indicated that the Taliban have been unable to fully suppress the terrorist threat in Afghanistan, with ISIS-K attacks declining inside Afghanistan but increasing in Pakistan. The group is reportedly rebuilding, possessing modern tactical equipment including drones and night-vision devices, and has shifted training activities across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned in July 2026 that ISIS-K is the main threat to Central Asia, seeking to use Afghanistan as a base for regional expansion and the creation of a caliphate. US officials also reiterated in August 2026 that ISIS-K continues to exploit instability to expand its activities and remains a top strategic priority for Washington. The group is also at the forefront of experimenting with artificial intelligence to improve its propaganda and media operations. Recent arrests, such as that of an ISIS-K member in Turkey in June 2026 who produced Turkish-language propaganda in Pakistan's Balochistan region, further underscore the group's operational hubs and propaganda efforts outside Afghanistan.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) made different choices?