Taliban Arrests Suspected Islamic State Members Linked to Tourist Killings in Afghanistan
The Taliban-led government of Afghanistan recently announced the arrest of several individuals believed to be affiliated with a regional faction of the Islamic State (IS), specifically the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK). These arrests come in the wake of a series of violent incidents, including the tragic murder of three foreign tourists in Bamiyan last May and a later attack in mid-September targeting compliance officials in Kabul.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban, shared the information on X on September 30. He mentioned that among those arrested, there is one national from Tajikistan, who he claims crossed over from neighboring Pakistan to execute attacks in Afghanistan. Mujahid further suggested that additional ISK fighters are currently taking refuge in the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions of Pakistan, allegedly receiving support from certain intelligence agencies, although he did not present any concrete evidence to back these assertions.
In response to these allegations, the Pakistani government has consistently rejected claims that it provides safe havens for militants within its borders.
The September 12 attack that is linked to these suspected ISK members targeted employees of the High Directorate of Supervision and Prosecution of Decrees and Edicts, a body established to take over responsibilities from the Afghan attorney general's office set up during the previous UN-backed government. The Taliban reported that this attack resulted in the deaths of six individuals and left 13 others injured, though the Afghan Prosecutors Association claimed that at least 16 prosecutors were killed.
Another significant incident was the attack on May 17 in Bamiyan Province, when gunmen struck a group of tourists in a market. This assault resulted in the deaths of three foreign nationals and one Afghan, with seven others sustaining injuries, according to Taliban officials. However, an anonymous source within the Taliban reports a higher death toll, claiming eight fatalities; this account could not be independently verified by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Spain later confirmed that some of its citizens were among those killed, while reports also indicated injured nationals from Australia, Norway, and Lithuania. Four suspects were detained at the scene of the attack.
Despite these violent occurrences, Bamiyan, known for its stunning landscapes and cultural heritage, has remained a tourist destination. This is notable considering the Taliban's previous regime, which infamously obliterated two monumental sixth-century Buddha statues in 2001 as part of their stringent anti-idolatry stance. The ongoing challenges posed by militant groups like ISK highlight the fragile security situation in the country and the complexities of governance under the current Taliban regime.
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