Monograph: Understanding the Islamic State of Khorasan: An Overview of its Evolution, Operational Strategies and Framing of India

Monograph 

 By: Ruchika Sharma, Research Associate

       Dr. Abhinav Pandya, CEO & Founder

Introduction

The announcement of the Caliphate in 2014 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from the al-Nuri Mosque of Mosul in Iraq, continues to be one of the most powerful symbols of modern jihadist propaganda. Following his declaration, the Islamic State (IS) systematically expanded beyond its core territories in Iraq and Syria through the establishment of multiple wilayats (provinces). Among these, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), also known as Wilayat Khorasan, has emerged as one of its most lethal and operationally significant affiliates. ISKP cannot be understood in isolation from Islamic State-Central (IS-C), which continues to function as its ideological parent organisation. This linkage is also reflected in ISKP’s propaganda narratives and evolving sympathy networks, which were reflected in IS-linked arrests in South Asia, including India.

Origin of the ISKP

Islamic State, originally rooted in Iraq and Syria, formally announced the declaration of the Islamic State of Khorasan in 2015, marking its expansion outside the Arab world. The ISKP aims to establish a caliphate in the historical Khorasan region, covering Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran and parts of Pakistan. The region holds profound significance in Islamic eschatology and among jihadist groups. Building on this, Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden famously referenced Khorasan in his 1996 ‘’Declaration of Jihad against the Americans’’, writing that “by the Grace of God he had found “a safe base in Khorasan.” This statement became a primary text for the global jihadist movement. Al-Qaeda further capitalized on this symbolism through its online magazine titled Vanguard of Khorasan. Similarly, Hafiz Saeed Khan, the governor of ISKP, described the region as “a gate to re-conquering all these regions until they are ruled once more by Allah’s law, and so the territory of the blessed Khilafah is expanded.”

Several Hadiths mention the emergence of an army from Khorasan carrying black flags near the end of times. According to these narrations, the al-Mahdi will arise and nothing will repel them until they are set up in Ilia (Jerusalem).” However, these prophecies are considered as weak narration. It is argued that throughout history, several Muslim factions have exploited black flag's symbolism for legitimacy. Abbasid dynasty was one of the earliest ones, which used black banners and titled their caliphs ‘al-Mahdi’ to justify their rule. There is no mention of black flags in the Quran as well.

ISKP, a Salafi-jihadist organization, was founded by the disgruntled members of the Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and Pakistan, declaring their allegiance to the Islamic State. By October 2014, Shahidullah Shahid and other regional commanders of the TTP pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (emir of the global caliphate), referring to him as ‘commander of the faithful’. In 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was proclaimed the leader of the newly established caliphate by the Islamic State, under the name of “Caliph Ibrahim’’, further strengthening the ideological appeal of this newly formed chapter.

In 2015, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, then IS spokesperson, announced the formation of the Islamic State’s regional chapter–the Islamic State of Khorasan. Hafiz Saeed Khan, a former Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) commander, was announced as a ‘’governor’’ (wali), while Abdul Rauf Khadim was appointed deputy governor; Khadim was later killed in a US drone airstrike in Helmand province in February 2015.  

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Disclaimer: This paper is the author's individual scholastic contribution and does not necessarily reflect the organization's viewpoint.