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US Announces Up to $10 Million Reward for Disrupting IS-KP Finances

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – The US Department of State has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial operation of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP), an ISIS affiliate based in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the department explained that IS-KP finances its operations by extracting natural resources, including from profitable talc mines in Nangarhar, and smuggling these resources out of the country.

According to the statement, IS-KP also raises funds through local donations, taxation, extortion of the local population and businesses, and receives some financial support from the main ISIS terrorist organization.

“ISIS-K financial facilitators also generate income through illicit tobacco sales in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and their affiliates have been involved with reselling luxury goods,” the US Department of State said.

“ISIS-K has relied on the informal hawala payment system to transfer funds and finance its activities. ISIS-K’s leadership also has been linked to digital currency addresses used to launder money,” it added.

According to the department, these activities have enabled the terrorist group to fund weapons purchases, training, and operations in the region.

The US Department of State is offering the reward for information that leads to the identification and disruption of IS-KP’s revenue sources and key financial facilitation mechanisms.

In January 2016, the US Department of State designated IS-KP as an international terrorist organization, prohibiting US citizens from engaging in any transactions with the group.

Following the withdrawal of US troops and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, IS-KP has used the country to become the most capable branch of the ISIS terror organization.

Although the Taliban claims to have dismantled IS-KP, the terrorist group has continued to carry out deadly attacks, primarily targeting the Hazara-Shia ethnic group and Taliban members throughout the country.

Since the beginning of 2024, IS-KP has carried out at least three deadly attacks on Hazaras across Afghanistan, as the terrorist group considers Hazara-Shias to be heretics.

In March, IS-KP claimed responsibility for an explosion in southern Kandahar province that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Taliban members. The group claimed that the attack had killed around 150 Taliban members.

In a February report, UN Security Council member states noted that IS-KP in Afghanistan currently enjoys greater freedom than at any time in recent history. The report also stated that there are no recent indications that the Taliban has taken measures to curb the activities of the terrorist group in the country.

Earlier, former US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander General Frank McKenzie warned that IS-KP has a strong desire to attack the US and its allies around the world. He cautioned that such an attack is “inevitable.”

The former top US general said that IS-KP’s capabilities in Afghanistan began to grow after the US withdrawal. He argued that a small troop presence in Afghanistan was necessary to effectively counter this threat.

Meanwhile, Fitton Brown, the former UN sanctions and threat assessment coordinator, told CNN that IS-KP is increasingly turning its attention to Europe, highlighting events like this year’s Paris Olympics as potential targets.

“ISIS-K has ambitions far beyond south Asia, aiming to target Russia, western Europe and even the United States,” he said. “I hope I’m wrong, but I’m very worried about the Paris Olympics,” he added.