What is ISIS-K, the terror group claiming responsibility for the Moscow concert hall attack?
ISIS-K poses a persistent threat with ambitions to establish an Islamic State in Central Asia and employs social media for recruitment and outreach.
- Bilawal Riaz
- 1 min read
EU and US officials have issued warnings about potential attacks recently. ISIS-K, an offshoot of the Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for a deadly massacre at a concert hall in Moscow, killing over 130 people. The group emerged in 2014 as a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban and has orchestrated brutal attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While ISIS-K has suffered setbacks, including a decline in attacks, it continues to pose a threat. The group’s ambitions include establishing an Islamic State in Central Asia. ISIS-K recruits mainly from disaffected Taliban members and conservative Afghans, and it employs social media for outreach. The group has adapted its tactics to target regional and international objectives, with attacks ranging from jailbreaks to assaults on religious sites. The media plays a significant role in ISIS-K’s strategy, aiming to stay relevant and challenge the Taliban’s authority in the region.