Afghanistan: US puts $14m bounty on ISIS chief

Senior IS member thought to be behind the Kabul airport attack in August that killed more than 180 people is next in US sights.

This image released by the US Department of Defense shows the compound housing ISIS emir Al-Qurayshi in northwest Syria prior to a raid executed by US forces on February 2. The head of the Islamic State group blew himself up after US special forces swooped on his Syrian hideout. Sanaullah Ghafari is the next IS operative in US sights. Picture: Supplied.

A $US10 million ($AU14 million) bounty has been placed on a senior Islamic State member, thought to be behind the Kabul airport attack in August that killed more than 180 people.

Sanaullah Ghafari, also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, has overseen Islamic State-Khorosan (ISIS-K) — a reference to the Central Asian region — since June 2020. He is responsible for managing cells that generate cash and build links with local leaders.

“Ghafari is responsible for approving all ISIS-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding,” the US State Department said.

The bounty announcement followed the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the Isis leader who blew up himself and his family as US special forces surrounded his hideout in Syria. Little is known about Ghafari, except that he was born in 1994 in Afghanistan or Iraq. The State Department said that Isis had described him as “one of the ‘urban lions’ in Kabul”.

Under his leadership, civilians have been targeted at mosques, shrines and hospitals. He was behind the attack on Jalalabad prison that released hundreds of Isis fighters in August 2020. He has pushed his deputies to prioritise social services and welfare.

Since the chaotic US departure from Afghanistan and the transfer of power to the Taliban, ISIS-K’s presence has been increasingly felt.

There are concerns that Ghafari’s leadership could boost ISIS-K ranks as the Taliban leave the borders open. But the UN reports that there have been no “significant new movements of foreign terrorist fighters to Afghanistan”.

The Times