Some Afghan citizens who helped the United States during the war have joined the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) after being left behind during the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Wall Street Journal reported that many turned to the Islamic State because they lacked income and were being hunted by the Taliban, which took over the country in mid-August as the U.S. withdrew its troops.
“The number of defectors joining the terrorist group is relatively small, but growing, according to Taliban leaders, former Afghan republic security officials and people who know the defectors. Importantly, these new recruits bring to Islamic State critical expertise in intelligence-gathering and warfare techniques, potentially strengthening the extremist organization’s ability to contest Taliban supremacy,” the Journal reported.
