UN report says Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations have weakened IS-K’s global structure and disrupted planned attacks
Pakistani authorities have arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, the spokesperson of Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K), in what the United Nations has described as a significant setback to the militant group’s regional and global operations.
The arrest was disclosed in the 16th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). According to the report, Azzam was detained in May 2025 from a border region, as part of Pakistan’s intensified counter-terrorism campaign against IS-K.
“Overall, the capability of [IS-K] has been degraded as a result of counter-terrorism operations,” the report stated. “Key commanders and ideologues have been neutralised, the number of fighters has likely declined, and several planned attacks have been disrupted.”
IS-K Media Wing Shut Down After Arrest
The UN report confirmed that Sultan Aziz Azzam, also known as Khariji Sultan Aziz Azam, was not only IS-K’s spokesperson but also the founder of its official media arm, Al-Azaim Foundation. The platform played a central role in propaganda dissemination, recruitment, and ideological indoctrination.
Following his arrest, the report noted, IS-K’s media operations have largely collapsed, with major publications and messaging channels taken offline.
“There have been a number of high-profile arrests by the Pakistani authorities, such as the arrest of an IS-K spokesperson, Sultan Aziz Azam, on 16 May 2025,” the report said.
UN Rejects Taliban Claim on Terrorist Presence
While acknowledging Pakistan’s role in degrading IS-K’s operational reach, the UN report rejected claims by the Taliban that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan soil.
“The Taliban contend that no terrorist groups operate in or from Afghanistan. That claim is not credible,” the report stated.
According to UN assessments, multiple terrorist groups continue to operate inside Afghanistan, particularly in northern regions and areas near the Pakistan border, with varying degrees of autonomy.
The report also raised alarm over IS-K’s recruitment of children, stating that the group has indoctrinated minors in madrassahs and established suicide training programmes for children as young as 14.
Pakistan’s Diplomatic Push at the UN
On December 8, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, formally requested that the findings be presented to the Security Council, highlighting Islamabad’s counter-terrorism efforts against IS-K.
The UN assessment credited Pakistan’s intelligence agencies with conducting multiple high-impact operations, weakening IS-K’s organisational structure at both regional and global levels.
Global Impact of IS-K Leadership Arrests
The report also referenced the mid-2025 arrest of Abu Yasir al-Turki, a senior IS-K figure involved in logistics and media operations, carried out jointly by Turkish and Pakistani authorities. His arrest is believed to have contributed to the shutdown of IS-K’s publication Voice of Khorasan.
“These arrests have significantly reduced IS-K’s operational capacity and propaganda reach,” the report noted.
Profile: Sultan Aziz Azzam
According to the UNSC, Azzam served as IS-K’s spokesperson since the group’s formation in Afghanistan in 2015. Islamabad-based security platform The Khorasan Diary has described him as the group’s second-in-command, while European security assessments confirm his leadership of Al-Azaim Media.
Born in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, Azzam previously worked as a journalist, contributing to local radio stations and publishing books and poetry before joining IS-K.
His background in journalism significantly enhanced IS-K’s propaganda effectiveness:
Building on his former experience as an Afghan journalist, his activity as IS-K’s spokesperson increased the group’s visibility and influence among followers.
Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of IS-K for the August 26, 2021 suicide bombing near Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, and circulated messages following attacks on journalists and prison facilities in Afghanistan.
International Recognition of Pakistan’s Role
In June 2025, then-US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael Kurilla publicly praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counter-terrorism.
“Through intelligence sharing, they have captured at least five ISIS-K high-value individuals,” Kurilla said, adding that Pakistan extradited Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the masterminds behind the Abbey Gate bombing.
Continued Operations Against IS-K
Security operations against IS-K continue inside Pakistan. In November, police killed Nisar Hakim, a key IS-K commander, during an intelligence-based operation in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following a raid on a militant hideout.
