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On Monday, the U.S. offered a $10 million reward for information regarding the location of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) leader Sanaullah Ghafari.
Ghafari, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, was appointed to lead ISIS-K in June 2020, according to the Department of State. He is thought to be responsible for approving ISIS-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding for the group. The State Department labeled him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in November.
Also in November, U.S. officials said they believed ISIS-K could develop the ability to attack beyond Afghanistan within six to 12 months, Reuters reported. The group, which is named after an old term for the region, first appeared in 2014 and has fought both the Western-backed government in Afghanistan that fell last August as well as the Taliban.
The recently announced reward is also offered for information that would help arrest or convict individuals responsible for an August 26, 2021, attack at the Kabul, Afghanistan, airport carried out by an Islamic State bomber, which killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans, Reuters added.
After Islamists seized power in the country in August, ISIS-K has increased its attacks, according to an Agence France-Presse report published in The Times of Israel.
In a press release issued Friday by the U.S. Central Command, the August bombing at the Kabul airport was described in greater detail. Ball bearings propelled by the explosion caused wounds akin to gunshots, which, coupled with warning shots fired in connection to the incident, made many initially assume ISIS-K gunmen were involved. However, it was found that the damage was caused by a single explosive device.
Ghafari's alias suggests he comes from the Arab world, AFP reported. He is rumored to have been a former member of the Haqqani network, one of the most feared and powerful groups within the Taliban, or an Al-Qaeda commander.
Ghafari's attack methodology includes IED attacks and assassinations, according to the United Nations. He has allegedly masterminded attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and is also suspected of supplying and selling arms and recruiting for ISIS-K.
ISIS-K has attacked mosques, shrines, public squares and hospitals in Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the AFP report in The Times of Israel. The group targets sects of Muslims it considers heretical.
"We will continue to use all levers of American power to target terrorists who plot operations to indiscriminately kill civilians around the world, and those who enable, facilitate and finance their acts," Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in November.
Updated 02/07 at 6:39 p.m.: This story was updated to include new background information and comments from Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.
