Shahab al-Muhajir

Leader of Islamic State – Khorasan Province

Shahab al-Muhajir

شهاب المهاجر

7th Wali of ISIS – Khorasan Province

Incumbent

Assumed office
5 April 2020
Preceded by| Mawlawi Aslam Farooqi
Personal details
Born|

Sanaullah Ghafari

(1994-10-28) October 28, 1994 (age 30)
Kabul, Islamic State of Afghanistan
Nickname| Sanaullah Al-Sadiq
Military service
Allegiance|  ISIS– Khorasan Province
Battles/wars|

* War on Terror
* War in Afghanistan
* Islamic State–Taliban conflict
* Balkhab conflict

Sanaullah Ghafari (Pashto: ثناءالله غفاری; born October 28, 1994), better known under his nom de guerre, Shahab al-Muhajir (Arabic: شهاب المهاجر, lit. 'Shahab the Migrant') is an Afghan militant who is serving as the Emir of the Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISIS–K) since 2020.[1][2][3]

## Early life

[edit]

Sanaullah Ghafari was born on October 28, 1994, to a family of merchants near the Shakardara district of Kabul.[4][5][6] His father, Abdul Jabbar Khan, reportedly fought for the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin under Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.[7][8] His surname comes from the name of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Ghafar Khan.[9]

There are differing accounts of his ancestry, Reuters reports that he is an ethnic Tajik while Sputnik claims that he is a Pashtun from the Kharoti tribe.[10][7] Other sources claim that his family allegedly migrated from India to Afghanistan.[11][12] The Independent Persian reports that his family lives in Pakistan.[8]

He received religious education from the Ghaffari Madrassa in Kabul, and obtained an engineering degree at Kabul University.[13][5] Ghafari joined the Afghan Army and served as a soldier.[10]

Advisory published by the State Department showing Ghafari's purported identity card from the Afghan Presidential Protective Service

In an identity document reportedly issued in January 2018 by the Afghan Presidential Protective Service and published by the State Department, Ghafari is presented as a body guard of former prime ministers Abdul Rashid Dostum and Amrullah Saleh and had his service pistol listed as an MP-446 Viking pistol. An officer working for Dostum's cabinet claimed that the document was falsified.[8]

The Independent Persian published a document showing that Ghafari was issued a businessman weapon's license in March 2016 by the Afghan Interior Ministry.[8] The document stated that he worked as an associate for the "Shafiqullah and Ruhollah Limited Trading Company", with a source telling The Independent that Ghafari's family owned a trading company between Afghanistan and Pakistan.[8] Al Arabiya reports that Ghafari married the daughter of Engineer Shakoor, an ISIS–K leader, through the meditation of Mullah Taj Muhammad.[7]

## Militant career

[edit]

Former prime minister Amrullah Saleh claimed that he reportedly joined the Haqqani network between 2010 and 2012, and became a mid-level operative until his defection to ISIS Central in 2015.[8][14] The Taliban denies that Ghafari was a member of the Haqqani network.[15]

Ghafari served for ISIS Central during the wars in Iraq and Syria.[16] A Taliban intelligence source told al-Jazeera that he led a commando of 35 Afghans within ISIS after having pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[12]

In April 2020, Ghafari was named emir and head of operations of ISIS–K,[17] reportedly the first emir of ISIS–K who is not Afghan or Pakistani.[18]

After the 2021 Kabul airport attack masterminded by Ghafari, the Taliban announced that they would take every possible measure to capture him.[19] The Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) published a wanted poster for three ISIS–K members which included a photo of Ghafari.[20]

## Death rumors and whereabouts

[edit]

On June 6, 2023, the GDI reportedly began a "grand operation" against ISIS–K in the Sirkanay District of Kunar Province with at least 3 hideouts destroyed and 14 ISIS–K members killed.[21][22][23] The operation's objective was to kill or capture Ghafari and ISIS–K spokesman Sultan Aziz Azzam after an intelligence tip-off.[24][25][26]

Pakistani media reported Ghafari's death on June 9 under "mysterious circumstances", citing Afghan and Pakistani intelligence officials.[25] Voice of America also reported that Afghan and Pakistani intelligence sources confirmed his death, however wrote that a United States official and the United States Central Command could not give confirmation of the death.[27] A Taliban spokesman stated that the reports could not be confirmed.[25][22] The United Nations stated that these reports remain to be confirmed.[28]

In March 2024, al-Mirsaad, a website believed to be associated with the Taliban's GDI, claimed that Ghafari lived in Balochistan with his close associates.[29][30] These reports were corroborated by Reuters, citing sources in the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban who claim that he fled to Pakistan with injuries following the raid.[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jenkins, Jack. "Who is ISIS-K, the group officials blame for the Kabul airport bombings?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
2. ^ Schmitt, Eric (2021-08-25). "ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terrorist Threat to Evacuation in Kabul". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
3. ^ Johny, Stanly (2021-08-27). "Explained | Who are ISKP, the group behind Kabul blasts?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
4. ^ "Sanaullah Ghafari". Rewards for Justice.
5. ^ a b "Global terrorist 'mysteriously' dies in Afghanistan". Pakistan Today. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
6. ^ ڈیسک, ویب (2023-06-08). "پاکستان مخالف دہشت گرد کا افغانستان میں پراسرار قتل". WE News (in Urdu). Retrieved 2023-06-09.
7. ^ a b c "تغييرات متسارعة.. ماذا نعرف عن قيادة تنظيم داعش خراسان؟". al-Arabiya. 2024-03-23.
8. ^ a b c d e f "رهبر داعش خراسان محافظ ویژه مارشال دوستم بود؟". ایندیپندنت فارسی (in Persian). 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
9. ^ "آمریکا: گارد ویژه معاون ریاست جمهوری سابق افغانستان سرکرده داعش است - تسنیم". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
10. ^ a b c Yawar, Mohammad Yunus (2024-03-26). "How ISIS-K leader forged one of Islamic State's most fearsome groups". Reuters.
11. ^ "ادعاهای ضد و نقیض در مورد کشته شدن رهبر داعش خراسان". ایندیپندنت فارسی (in Persian). Retrieved 2023-06-15.
12. ^ a b خاص, الجزيرة نت-. "لم تُسمع له رسالة صوتية.. تعرف على "شهاب المهاجر" زعيم تنظيم الدولة في أفغانستان". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
13. ^ "رسانه‌های پاکستانی از کشته شدن رهبر شاخه خراسان داعش در افغانستان خبر دادند". افغانستان اینترنشنال (in Persian). 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
14. ^ Eric Schmitt (August 25, 2021). "ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terrorist Threat to Evacuation in Kabul". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
15. ^ "د پخواني دولت لومړی مرستیال د داعش رهبري و". نن ټکی اسیا (in Pashto). 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
16. ^ Qazizai, Fazelminallah; Sands, Chris (2022-08-01). "Faith and Vengeance: the Islamic State's War in Afghanistan". New Lines Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
17. ^ Presswire18.com: ISIS-K Chief: Who is Shahab al-Muhajir, the head of the group that terrorized Kabul
18. ^ Jen Kirby (August 27, 2021). "ISIS-K, explained by an expert - What to know about the Afghanistan ISIS offshoot that waged a deadly attack at the Kabul airport". Vox. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
19. ^ Farmer, Ben (27 August 2021). "Ambitious new Isis-K leader becomes Taliban's most wanted enemy after Kabul attacks". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
20. ^ "امنیت ملی جزئیات بازداشت عاملان انهدام پایه‌های برق را منتشر کرد | خبرگزاری دید | اخبار افغانستان و جهان" (in Persian). 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
21. ^ The Khorasan Diary [@khorasandiary] (2023-06-06). "Sources in the Taliban intelligence service, the GDI say that a grand operation is underway in Kunar, Afghanistan against Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP). Three hideouts have been destroyed in the operation so far. Operation will continue till the elimination of other ISKP hideouts in the region" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
22. ^ a b "سخنگوی طالبان خبر کشته شدن رهبر داعش خراسان را تایید نکرد". افغانستان اینترنشنال (in Persian). 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
23. ^ Sajjad Nuristani [@SajjadNuristan] (2023-06-09). "Local sources from eastern Afghanistan told me that 2 days ago, the Taliban carried out a large-scale operation in Sarkani district of Kunar province to kill/arrest Sanaullah Ghafari, the leader of ISIS-K and Sultan Azzam" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
24. ^ The Khorasan Diary [@khorasandiary] (2023-06-07). "The operation by the Taliban in Kunar was on an intelligence tip off to capture or kill Islamic State Khorasan's leader, Shahab Al-Muhajir" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
25. ^ a b c "رسانه‌های پاکستانی از کشته شدن رهبر شاخه خراسان داعش در افغانستان خبر دادند". افغانستان اینترنشنال (in Persian). 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
26. ^ "Who Is the New Leader of Islamic State-Khorasan Province?". Lawfare. 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
27. ^ Gul, Ayaz (2023-06-09). "IS-K Leader in Afghanistan Reported Dead". Voice of America. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
28. ^ "UN Awaits Confirmation of Killing of IS-Khorasan Chief in Afghanistan". Voice of America. 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
29. ^ "د کندهار د برید په اړه نوي انکشافات - المرصاد". المرصاد - پښتو (in Pashto). 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
30. ^ "Taliban Halts Anti-Pakistan Content on Group's Affiliated Media, Claim Sources". Afghanistan International. 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-03-24.