Shahab al-Muhajir
{{Short description|Leader of Islamic State – Khorasan Province}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Shahab al-Muhajir}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|شهاب المهاجر}}}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|10|28}}
| birth_place = Kabul, Islamic State of Afghanistan
| nickname = Sanaullah Al-Sadiq
| office1 =
| birth_name = Sanaullah Ghafari
| image =
| caption = Ghafari, {{circa|2018}}
| native_name_lang = ps
| office = 7th Wali of ISIS – Khorasan Province
|battles =
{{Tree list}}
{{Tree list/end}}
| allegiance = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.svg}} ISIS– Khorasan Province
| term_start = 5 April 2020
| predecessor = Mawlawi Aslam Farooqi
}}
Sanaullah Ghafari ({{Langx|ps|ثناءالله غفاری}}; born October 28, 1994), better known under his nom de guerre, Shahab al-Muhajir ({{langx|ar|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.{{cite news|last1=Jenkins|first1=Jack|title=Who is ISIS-K, the group officials blame for the Kabul airport bombings?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/who-is-isis-k-the-group-officials-blame-for-the-kabul-airport-bombings/2021/08/26/838d6a06-06b2-11ec-b3c4-c462b1edcfc8_story.html|access-date=28 August 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news|last=Schmitt|first=Eric|date=2021-08-25 |title=ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terrorist Threat to Evacuation in Kabul|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/politics/isis-terrorism-afghanistan-taliban.html|access-date=2021-08-28|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite news|last=Johny|first=Stanly|date=2021-08-27|title=Explained {{!}} Who are ISKP, the group behind Kabul blasts?|newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-who-are-iskp-the-group-behind-kabul-blasts/article36132650.ece|access-date=2021-08-28|issn=0971-751X}}
Early life
Sanaullah Ghafari was born on October 28, 1994, to a family of merchants near the Shakardara district of Kabul.{{Cite web |title=Sanaullah Ghafari |url=https://rewardsforjustice.net/terrorist-rewards/sanaullah-ghafari/ |website=Rewards for Justice}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=Global terrorist 'mysteriously' dies in Afghanistan |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/06/09/global-terrorist-mysteriously-dies-in-afghanistan/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=Pakistan Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=ڈیسک |first=ویب |date=2023-06-08 |title=پاکستان مخالف دہشت گرد کا افغانستان میں پراسرار قتل |url=https://wenews.pk/news/46093/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=WE News |language=ur}} His father, Abdul Jabbar Khan, reportedly fought for the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin under Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-23 |title=تغييرات متسارعة.. ماذا نعرف عن قيادة تنظيم داعش خراسان؟ |url=https://www.alarabiya.net/arab-and-world/2024/03/23/%D8%AA%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D9%86%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%9F |website=al-Arabiya}}{{Cite web |date=2021-11-24 |title=رهبر داعش خراسان محافظ ویژه مارشال دوستم بود؟ |url=https://www.independentpersian.com/node/194756/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C/%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8-%D9%88%DB%8C%DA%98%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85-%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%9F |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=ایندیپندنت فارسی |language=fa}} His surname comes from the name of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Ghafar Khan.{{Cite web |title=آمریکا: گارد ویژه معاون ریاست جمهوری سابق افغانستان سرکرده داعش است - تسنیم |url=https://www.tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1400/09/02/2613431/%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7-%DA%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88%DB%8C%DA%98%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=خبرگزاری تسنیم {{!}} Tasnim |language=fa}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Yawar |first=Mohammad Yunus |date=2024-03-26 |title=How ISIS-K leader forged one of Islamic State's most fearsome groups |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/leader-isis-group-linked-moscow-attack-has-global-ambitions-2024-03-25/ |website=Reuters}} Other sources claim that his family allegedly migrated from India to Afghanistan.{{Cite web |title=ادعاهای ضد و نقیض در مورد کشته شدن رهبر داعش خراسان |url=https://www.independentpersian.com/node/335091/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C/print%20%27/taxonomy/term/%27.%24node-%3Efield_main_section%5B%27und%27%5D%5B0%5D%5B%27tid%27%5D |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=ایندیپندنت فارسی |language=fa}}{{Cite web |last=خاص |first=الجزيرة نت- |title=لم تُسمع له رسالة صوتية.. تعرف على "شهاب المهاجر" زعيم تنظيم الدولة في أفغانستان |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/politics/2021/12/28/%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%87%d9%88-%d8%b4%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%b1-%d8%b2%d8%b9%d9%8a%d9%85-%d8%aa%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%8a%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a9 |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=الجزيرة نت |language=ar}} The Independent Persian reports that his family lives in Pakistan.
He received religious education from the Ghaffari Madrassa in Kabul, and obtained an engineering degree at Kabul University.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=رسانه‌های پاکستانی از کشته شدن رهبر شاخه خراسان داعش در افغانستان خبر دادند |url=https://www.afintl.com/202306093805 |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=افغانستان اینترنشنال |language=fa}} Ghafari joined the Afghan Army and served as a soldier.
File:Sanaullah Ghafari State Dept. Poster.jpg
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.
The Independent Persian published a document showing that Ghafari was issued a businessman weapon's license in March 2016 by the Afghan Interior Ministry. 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. Al Arabiya reports that Ghafari married the daughter of Engineer Shakoor, an ISIS–K leader, through the meditation of Mullah Taj Muhammad.
Militant career
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.{{cite news |author=Eric Schmitt |date=August 25, 2021 |title=ISIS Branch Poses Biggest Immediate Terrorist Threat to Evacuation in Kabul |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/politics/isis-terrorism-afghanistan-taliban.html |accessdate=August 31, 2021}} The Taliban denies that Ghafari was a member of the Haqqani network.{{Cite web |date=2021-11-24 |title=د پخواني دولت لومړی مرستیال د داعش رهبري و |url=https://www.nunn.asia/196951/%d8%af-%d9%be%d8%ae%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d8%aa-%d9%84%d9%88%d9%85%da%93%db%8c-%d9%85%d8%b1%d8%b3%d8%aa%db%8c%d8%a7%d9%84-%d8%af-%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b9%d8%b4-%d8%b1%d9%87%d8%a8%d8%b1/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=نن ټکی اسیا |language=ps}}
Ghafari served for ISIS Central during the wars in Iraq and Syria.{{Cite web |last1=Qazizai |first1=Fazelminallah |last2=Sands |first2=Chris |date=2022-08-01 |title=Faith and Vengeance: the Islamic State's War in Afghanistan |url=https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/faith-and-vengeance-the-islamic-states-war-in-afghanistan/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=New Lines Magazine |language=en}} 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.
In April 2020, Ghafari was named emir and head of operations of ISIS–K,[https://presswire18.com/isis-k-chief-who-is-shahab-al-muhajir-the-head-of-the-group-that-terrorized-kabul/ Presswire18.com: ISIS-K Chief: Who is Shahab al-Muhajir, the head of the group that terrorized Kabul] reportedly the first emir of ISIS–K who is not Afghan or Pakistani.{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2021/8/27/22643461/isis-k-kabul-airport-afghanistan-taliban|author=Jen Kirby|title=ISIS-K, explained by an expert - What to know about the Afghanistan ISIS offshoot that waged a deadly attack at the Kabul airport|publisher=Vox|date=August 27, 2021|accessdate=August 31, 2021}}
After the 2021 Kabul airport attack masterminded by Ghafari, the Taliban announced that they would take every possible measure to capture him.{{Cite news |last=Farmer |first=Ben |date=27 August 2021 |title=Ambitious new Isis-K leader becomes Taliban's most wanted enemy after Kabul attacks |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/08/27/ambitious-new-isis-k-leader-becomes-talibans-wanted-enemy-kabul/ |access-date=27 August 2021 |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828005653/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/08/27/ambitious-new-isis-k-leader-becomes-talibans-wanted-enemy-kabul/ |url-status=live }} The Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) published a wanted poster for three ISIS–K members which included a photo of Ghafari.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=امنیت ملی جزئیات بازداشت عاملان انهدام پایه‌های برق را منتشر کرد {{!}} خبرگزاری دید {{!}} اخبار افغانستان و جهان |url=https://didpress.com/%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%86%db%8c%d8%aa-%d9%85%d9%84%db%8c-%d8%ac%d8%b2%d8%a6%db%8c%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b2%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%aa-%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%87%d8%af%d8%a7/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |language=fa-IR}}
Death rumors and whereabouts
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.{{Cite tweet|number=1666121896436412426|user=khorasandiary|title=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.|author=The Khorasan Diary|date=2023-06-06}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=سخنگوی طالبان خبر کشته شدن رهبر داعش خراسان را تایید نکرد |url=https://www.afintl.com/202306093303 |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=افغانستان اینترنشنال |language=fa}}{{Cite tweet|number=1667259765440000001|user=SajjadNuristan|title=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|author=Sajjad Nuristani|date=2023-06-09}} The operation's objective was to kill or capture Ghafari and ISIS–K spokesman Sultan Aziz Azzam after an intelligence tip-off.{{Cite tweet|number=1666380029163446274|user=khorasandiary|title=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|author=The Khorasan Diary|date=2023-06-07}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=رسانه‌های پاکستانی از کشته شدن رهبر شاخه خراسان داعش در افغانستان خبر دادند |url=https://www.afintl.com/202306093805 |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=افغانستان اینترنشنال |language=fa}}{{Cite web |date=2020-09-02 |title=Who Is the New Leader of Islamic State-Khorasan Province? |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/who-new-leader-islamic-state-khorasan-province |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Lawfare |language=en}}
Pakistani media reported Ghafari's death on June 9 under "mysterious circumstances", citing Afghan and Pakistani intelligence officials. 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.{{Cite web |last=Gul |first=Ayaz |date=2023-06-09 |title=IS-K Leader in Afghanistan Reported Dead |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/is-k-leader-in-afghanistan-reported-dead-/7130444.html |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=Voice of America |language=en}} A Taliban spokesman stated that the reports could not be confirmed.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-09 |title=سخنگوی طالبان خبر کشته شدن رهبر داعش خراسان را تایید نکرد |url=https://www.afintl.com/202306093303 |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=افغانستان اینترنشنال |language=fa}} The United Nations stated that these reports remain to be confirmed.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-28 |title=UN Awaits Confirmation of Killing of IS-Khorasan Chief in Afghanistan |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/un-awaits-confirmation-of-killing-of-is-khorasan-chief-in-afghanistan-/7202743.html |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}
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.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-23 |title=د کندهار د برید په اړه نوي انکشافات - المرصاد |url=https://almirsaad.com/%d8%af-%da%a9%d9%86%d8%af%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%af-%d8%a8%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%af-%d9%be%d9%87-%d8%a7%da%93%d9%87-%d9%86%d9%88%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%86%da%a9%d8%b4%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%aa/ |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=المرصاد - پښتو |language=ps}}{{Cite web |date=2024-03-24 |title=Taliban Halts Anti-Pakistan Content on Group's Affiliated Media, Claim Sources |url=https://www.afintl.com/en/202311228145 |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=Afghanistan International |language=en}} 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.
References
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Category:Afghan people of Indian descent
Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Afghanistan