Afghanistan, Pakistan Point Fingers Over Islamic State Presence

The arrest of an alleged Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) operative in Pakistan has reignited long-simmering tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, with both sides trading pointed accusations over the transnational terrorist group’s operational base. Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, seized on the detention of MohammadContinue Reading

Are Uyghur Militants Becoming ISKP’s New Force?

Uyghur separatist groups have consistently supported the Taliban in their two-decade-long fight for control of Afghanistan, but increased Chinese presence in the country is altering the status quo with significant risk for Beijing  The Taliban have long provided members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), also known as theContinue Reading

Iran’s Taliban Charm Offensive

Iran is currently undergoing a period of strategic reorientation. It faces energy and economic crises and its regional ascent has been reversed by events in Syria and Israel’s weakening of Hezbollah. Tensions with the United States could also soon intensify, with the Trump administration signaling a return to the “maximumContinue Reading