“Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism and a research fellow at the Soufan Center, highlighted the growing hostility of IS-KP toward Beijing. “During the caliphate era, ISIS in Iraq and Syria was the main source of anti-China propaganda, but IS-KP has emerged as the most vocal and hostile branch against Beijing,” he told The Media Line.
“IS-KP has repeatedly targeted Chinese nationals, citing incidents such as the killing of two individuals in Pakistan in May 2017, the attack on a Kabul hotel in December 2022, a suicide bombing near a Chinese delegation at the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in January 2023, and the recent killing of a Chinese mine worker,” he said.
Webber underlined that “these actions align with IS-KP’s escalating propaganda campaign, which criticizes China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslim community, its ties with the Taliban, and the Belt and Road Initiative’s expansion into Islamic regions.”
According to Webber, the US “has maintained a strong focus on IS-KP, evidenced by its signal intelligence detecting chatter about the Kerman suicide attacks and the assault on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.”
He explained that IS-KP’s robust propaganda network “leverages social media and messaging apps to fundraise, recruit, build support, and distribute tactical guides for plotting attacks in supporters’ home countries.”
“To effectively counter this growing threat, the Trump administration should prioritize allocating additional resources to identify, disrupt, and dismantle IS-KP’s online operations,” Webber concluded.
The Media Line, 09 Febuary 2025
