Media Group Linked To Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) Publishes Posters Instructing Lone Operatives, Threatening Attacks With Explosives In The West

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In the past few weeks, the Al-Azaim Foundation, an unofficial pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media group linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), continued to publish posters in English on the pro-ISIS Rocket Chat server, rallying lone wolves to continue to adhere to ISIS's agenda of violence and encouraging attacks in the West against Christians and Jews.

On June 22, 2024, the Al-Azaim Foundation published a poster titled "O Muwahhid [Monotheist] Who Follows The Sunnah Of The Prophet!" The image depicts a hooded operative watching U.S. and Israeli flags go up in flames. The text on the poster read: "Set fire to the towns of the Crusaders and the Jews, and make them one of the fiery towns."

It continued: "Do not underestimate a match you light. Beware of things that put yourself in danger. Take the necessary security. Put your trust in Allah. Turn them into towns that will destroy the disbelievers and strike fear into their hearts."[1]

The next day, on June 23, Al-Azaim released two threatening posters with cryptic titles. One depicted a bloody axe with the words "Be Quiet…", while the second depicts a time bomb, with the text "Maybe…". The messages that accompanied the posters called on lone operatives to make used the means available to them, whether cold or hot weapons, and to take operation security measures.[2]

The latest issue of Al-Azaim's English-language "Voice of Khorasan" monthly magazine contained a poster threatening attacks in the German cities of Berlin, Munich, and Dortmund, alluding to a possible assault on a stadium during a soccer match. Most pro-ISIS posters from the past few months focused on threatening attacks on sports events, such as the ongoing Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup, 2024, co-hosted by the U.S. and the West Indies, and lastly, the Summer Olympics, set to start in Paris on July 26, 2024.[3]

On June 25, the ISKP-linked media outlet published a poster featuring a hadith prophesying that fighters holding the black flag of monotheism will emerge from the Khorasan region, and that "no one can stop [them] until they raise their flags in Jerusalem."[4]

Al-Azaim has been posting significant content the past few months, threatening "indiscriminate" attacks against Jews and civilians of countries which expressed support for Israel following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. A poster published on May 16, 2024, suggested that Israel's operation in Rafah is a continuation of its historic campaign against Muslims, and threatened: "If you do not stop, then wait for us to kill your sons and women in every single place, Allah willing."[5]