3. Biodata:
According to Washington, Sanaullah Ghafari -- aka Shahab al-Muhajir -- was appointed head of ISIS-K in June 2020 by the ISIS group. ISIS-K is the Afghan offshoot of ISIS, which originated in Iraq and Syria. Little is known about Ghafari, although his nom de guerre suggests he arrived in the region from the Arab world. He is rumored to have been an Al-Qaeda commander or a former member of the Haqqani network, one of the most powerful and feared factions in the Taliban.

ISIS-K has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years, massacring civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at mosques, shrines, public squares and hospitals. The group has especially targeted Muslims from sects it considers heretical, including Shiites -- much like the original ISIS group.
 

The 10 Mio US$ reward offered by the US State Department was also for any information that would aid in arresting or convicting those responsible for the "terrorist attack at the Kabul airport" on August 26, which was claimed by the ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K). The attack, which killed more than 100 people including 13 American soldiers, was launched as the United States orchestrated its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the evacuation of Afghans deemed under threat by the Taliban's takeover.(20220208).

Sanaullah Ghafari has been the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan (ISIL-K) (QDe.161) since June 2020. He was appointed by the ISIL core to lead ISIL-K. He is responsible for approving all ISIL-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding to conduct operations. He has masterminded terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan. As the leader of ISIL-K, he has been responsible for multiple terrorist attacks resulting in hundreds of deaths in 2021. Attack methodology includes assassinations and IED attacks.
 

More Background:
IS-K emerged in 2015, largely formed by disgruntled Pakistani Taliban fighters led by Hafiz Saeed Khan, a former Pakistani Taliban commander, and later expanded operations into Afghanistan.

The group has also carried past attacks against Chinese nationals in Afghanistan -- including a 2022 bombing of a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul -- and has stepped up its recruiting and propaganda efforts since the Taliban returned to power.
 

In the lead-up to the Taliban's return to power, various unofficial IS-K-linked media outlets released videos, pamphlets, and online posters criticizing and threatening China. These activities were largely tied to the Taliban's diplomatic relations with China. IS-K is continuing with those efforts and is poised to keep targeting Chinese nationals as the group's rivalry with the Taliban deepens and its regional ambitions grow.

[IS-K] has previously talked about bombings, and its propaganda branch has issued warnings in Uzbek about possible attacks on Chinese energy lines in Central Asia. Cross-border attacks are also possible, as insurgent and criminal groups have increasingly targeted Chinese nationals. (20260129)