The Islamic State’s branch in Afghanistan is at war with the world
The group which claimed responsibility for the Crocus City Hall attack is increasingly worrying
No government formally recognises the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, partly because its restrictions on female education are the world’s most oppressive. Yet even the Taliban are not radical enough for the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), an offshoot in Afghanistan of the group that established a “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. ISKP propagandists rubbish the Taliban as sell-outs to the West because, among other sins, they meet non-Islamic diplomats and allow unbelievers to supply aid.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Holier than thou”
From the March 30th 2024 edition
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