ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, the head of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) media wing, officials said.
Who Is Sultan Aziz Azzam
According to Arab News and state media, Azzam was a senior ISKP leader from Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. He studied Islamic jurisprudence at Nangarhar University.
Pakistan TV Digital reported that Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and later became a key member of its leadership council. Intelligence sources said authorities arrested him in May 2025 while he was attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Officials said Azzam oversaw ISKP’s media operations and headed its Al Azzam media outlet.
In November 2021, the United States designated Azzam as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” barring U.S. citizens from engaging in financial transactions with him.
A United Nations Security Council report described Azzam as instrumental in spreading Daesh’s violent ideology and promoting terrorist attacks. The report said his role as ISKP spokesperson significantly expanded the group’s visibility and influence.
According to the UN, Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of Daesh for the August 26, 2021 suicide bombing near Kabul airport that killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.
The arrest comes amid strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses militants of using Afghan territory to stage attacks inside Pakistan, a claim Kabul denies.
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Tensions escalated in October after border clashes between the two countries, with both sides claiming casualties. Pakistan has urged the Taliban-led Afghan government to take decisive action against militant groups operating from its soil, while Kabul rejects responsibility for Pakistan’s security challenges.
