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Terrorism
This Week in AsiaPolitics

Asia’s terrorism surge: from Pakistan to Russia, Isis-K awakens sleeper cells – as Chinese interests come under fire

  • Using Afghanistan as a base, Isis cells have hit targets in Russia, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey this year, spurred on by outrage over Israel’s Gaza war
  • Pakistan blames the Afghan Taliban for its inaction against the group, as well as the Baloch militants striking Chinese interests in South Asia

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A Russian soldier secures the area as a massive blaze burns in the Crocus City Hall concert venue on March 22 following a deadly attack claimed by Isis. Photo: AP
Tom Hussain
A surge in terrorist plots and attacks carried out by Islamic State through its Afghanistan-based affiliate Isis-Khorasan (Isis-K) this year shows a deadly shift in strategy by the erstwhile caliphate.
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After being expelled from strongholds in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in 2019, and with its leadership in hiding to avoid assassination by American and Taliban forces, Isis has activated its network of terrorist cells, manned by militants from across Eurasia.
Investigations into lethal Isis attacks over the past three months in Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey revealed that they all involved Isis militants from Central Asia, notably Tajiks.
A combination of pictures shows four Tajik men suspected by Moscow of taking part in the March 22 attack, claimed by Isis, on a concert hall that killed 137 people. Photo AFP
A combination of pictures shows four Tajik men suspected by Moscow of taking part in the March 22 attack, claimed by Isis, on a concert hall that killed 137 people. Photo AFP
Turkish prosecutors say Uygurs from Xinjiang were also involved in some of the recent attacks. Isis-K has called for members of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an al-Qaeda affiliate whose stated goal is establishing a caliphate in Xinjiang, to defect.

Using Afghanistan as their homebase and Turkey as a logistical centre, Isis cells have worked closely with various national and regional branches to pull off the murderous attacks on four countries this year.

Terrorism analysts told This Week in Asia that Isis-K had replaced the group’s decimated forces in Iraq and Syria as the point of its jihadist sword.

“All these attacks can be traced back in different ways” to Isis-K, said Riccardo Valle, director of research for The Khorasan Diary, an Islamabad-based security news and analysis platform focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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