The recent terrorist attack by the “Islamic State – Khorasan” militants in Kabul, targeting Chinese citizens, raises questions about its motivations. Experts believe that the reasons for these attacks should be sought against the backdrop of Beijing's policies in Xinjiang, as well as the desire to undermine the financial interests of the “Taliban,” as reported by Ozodi.
The explosion at a Chinese hotel complex with a restaurant in Kabul on January 19 claimed the lives of at least seven people, including one Chinese citizen, and resulted in injuries to another 13. The “Islamic State – Khorasan” claimed responsibility for this act of violence, stating that they included Chinese nationals among their targets due to Beijing's policies in Xinjiang, where over a million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim peoples are reportedly held in “re-education camps.”
Michael Semple, an Afghanistan expert and professor at Queen's University in Belfast, noted that “jihadists, who consider China an enemy of Muslims, continue their activities under the Taliban's management. This forces China to strengthen security measures for its citizens.” Chinese citizens have repeatedly been targeted in attacks, but recent events occur against the backdrop of a series of assaults on Chinese interests in neighboring Pakistan and Tajikistan. Analysts suggest that these attacks are aimed at reducing China's willingness to invest in the region. Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, they have also been in conflict with IS-K, as they view its ambitions to create a regional caliphate as a threat to their rule.
According to Lucas Weber, an analyst at the Tech Against Terrorism research group, “by sowing fear, IS-K is trying to prevent Chinese companies from investing, doing business, and extracting natural resources in Afghanistan, thereby undermining the Taliban's position.”
CHINESE CITIZENS AT THE CENTER OF THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE TALIBAN AND IS-K
Given the harsh sanctions, China has become an important economic and diplomatic partner for the Taliban since their return to power, although it has not officially recognized this government. Chinese citizens working in the country have become symbols of the Taliban's legitimacy and attractive targets for IS-K, which is looking for weaknesses in the Taliban's promises of security.
Michael Semple also noted that by attacking Chinese citizens, IS-K may be sending a signal to the Taliban about its ability to continue carrying out attacks despite efforts to neutralize it. This also calls into question the Taliban's claims that the “Islamic State” is not present in Afghanistan and that its cells have been destroyed.
In April 2024, a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated in an audio message that IS-K no longer poses a threat in the country.
Political analyst Sami Yusufzai noted that the Taliban's statements do not fully reflect reality. Although IS-K currently has no “bases within Afghanistan, which limits its ability to carry out frequent attacks,” the group is active in neighboring Pakistan and Tajikistan, where it is also targeting Chinese citizens. In November 2023, two attacks near the Afghan border in Tajikistan resulted in the deaths of five Chinese workers, and five others were injured.
Tajik authorities stated that the attacks were carried out from Afghan territory, and the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, promised to assist Dushanbe in investigating the incident. After the attacks, a Taliban government representative reported that Taliban forces conducted a raid on an IS-K base in northern Afghanistan, near the Tajik border, assuring that this was related to the recent attacks on Chinese workers.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHINESE INTERESTS
The IS-K group, founded in 2015, was formed by Pakistani militants led by Hafiz Saeed Khan, dissatisfied with the actions of the “Taliban.” It later expanded its operations into Afghanistan. The group has already carried out attacks on Chinese citizens, including an explosion in 2022 at a hotel in Kabul owned by Chinese nationals. After the Taliban's return to power, IS-K intensified its recruitment and propaganda activities.
Weber emphasizes that in the lead-up to the Taliban's return to power, various unofficial media associated with IS-K published videos and posters criticizing China, which was related to the diplomatic relations between the Taliban and Beijing. The group continues these actions and is ready to attack Chinese citizens, exacerbating its rivalry with the Taliban and its regional ambitions.
“IS-K has previously reported explosions and published warnings in Uzbek about possible attacks on Chinese energy facilities in Central Asia. Cross-border attacks are becoming increasingly likely as insurgent and criminal groups increasingly begin to target Chinese citizens,” adds Weber.
