Islamic State Khorasan Claims Airport Attack

On Sunday, July 22^nd, in an attempt to kill Afghan Vice President Rashid Dostum, an Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) suicide bomber attacked Kabul’s international airport. The attack happened amidst a gathering of Dostum’s supporters as his motorcade passed by on its way into Kabul. The vice president was in an armored car and was not harmed by the blast. The attack left 23 dead and at least 107 people wounded. IS-K claims that Vice President Dostum is an “apostate” and “one of the most severe warmongers against the Muslims”.

IS-K is in the middle of a serious struggle with the Taliban who have recently entered into talks with the United States and Afghan government. If a peace agreement is achieved between the Taliban and the Afghan government, it could mean disaster for IS-K because of its inability  to fight a war of attrition against a strengthened of Afghan and U.S. forces. Proof of IS-K’s failure to handle more concentrated attacks from U.S. and Afghan forces came in early July, when Afghan and U.S. forces pushed IS-K out of their stronghold in Nangarhar.

In order to challenge the Taliban, IS-K has waged a relentless campaign to take over Taliban controlled territory by seizing some districts in Jowzjan province and killing Taliban commander Mullah Burian. The Taliban has responded in kind to these attacks; however, they were unable to take back what they had lost.

Attacks aimed at Vice President Dostum and his backers will likely continue given the controversy in which the exiled warlord’s return from Turkey is mired in. This controversy includes pending charges against him for kidnapping, raping, and torturing a political rival in 2016 as well as a litany of other accusations. Dostum was brought onto Ashraf Ghani’s presidential campaign in 2014 to secure votes from the Uzebek community. It is unknown if he will face trial for the crimes he has allegedly committed. With national elections on the horizon for Afghanistan’s parliament, and a presidential election next year, it is doubtful that the former warlord will be tried.

The United States is still involved in Afghanistan, and it has an interest in seeing a stable and efficient democracy continue to form in Afghanistan. The United States will continue to attack IS-K and support the Afghan government in their attempts to destroy the terrorist organization.