Leaked letter points to schism in Afghan ISIL

Uzbek and Pakistani men contest power

ISLAMABAD // A letter drafted by a senior ISIL militant points to a growing power struggle within the group’s Afghan affiliate.

It pits Uzbek fighters against Pakistanis considered too close to that country’s powerful intelligence service.

The rumblings of discontent come as the ISIL affiliate, which refers to itself as the Khorasan Province, is at war with the USbacked government and the more well-established Taliban, with which it differs on tactics, leadership and ideology. The Khorasan Province, an ancient term for an area that includes parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian states, has pledged allegiance to ISIL in Iraq and Syria since its birth in 2014 but consists mainly of disgruntled former Taliban and other insurgents from South and Central Asia.

The letter, obtained by an extremist fighter with ties to the ISIL affiliate , was signed by Moawiya Uzbekistani, the apparent nom de guerre of an Uzbek militant who claims to have become the leader of the group after the death of Abdul Hasib. He was killed in a joint US-Afghan operation in April.

Uzbekistani rejected reports that another fighter, who he identifies as Sheikh Aslam Fa- rouqi, had been chosen to lead the group and suggested Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence was behind the rumours.

“Even if this information is true, then it’s the ISI of Pakistan behind this function and we don’t accept it, because we all fight for Allah and his religion,” the letter said, warning against “infidels, intelligence services and the deceitful” acting from “behind the scenes”.

Militants belonging to allied groups said Central Asian fighters and Afghans wanted the leadership of the group taken out of Pakistani hands, even though the founder of ISIL in Afghanistan, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was a Pakistani tribesman.

Khan was killed in a US drone strike in July last year. The rift seemed to widen with a recent ISIL meeting in Pakistan’s Orakzai tribal belt, from where Khan originates, according to two people familiar with the meeting, which was said to have been attended by 40 senior ISIL commanders.

The council appointed Saif-ul Islam, a close Pakistani ally of Saeed, as the new leader. With the many names used by insurgents it was not immediately clear if Aslam Farouqi and Saiful Islam were the same person.

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Khorasani, an Afghan from the eastern Kunar province, was appointed deputy, they said.

The rumblings of discontent come as the ISIL affiliate is at war with the USbacked government and the Taliban