Arrest is being described as a significant setback for group’s propaganda capabilities
Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam – the spokesperson of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) – and founder of its official media wing – in a major counter-terrorism operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Pakistani authorities have confirmed the arrest of Sultan Aziz Azzam, also known as Khazari Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior ISIS-K figure responsible for the group’s media and recruitment operations.
According to the Sixteenth Report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, Azzam was detained on May 16, 2025, in an operation carried out by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Azzam was arrested from border areas between Nangarhar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, though operational details were withheld to avoid compromising ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
Founder of ISKP’s media wing
Sultan Aziz Azzam was the founder of the Al-Azaim Foundation, ISKP official media outlet.
The foundation has been central to the group’s recruitment, propaganda dissemination, and ideological messaging, including managing platforms such as Voice of Khorasan.
Following his arrest, several ISIS-K propaganda channels and media activities have reportedly been suspended, significantly disrupting the group’s information warfare operations.
Impact on ISKP operations
The UN report notes that Pakistan’s recent crackdown has weakened ISKP organizational structure on a global scale.
Several planned attacks have been thwarted, the number of fighters has declined, and key commanders and ideological leaders have been neutralized.
The arrest of Azzam, along with senior leader Abu Yasir al-Turki, has sharply reduced the group’s ability to organize and execute large-scale attacks across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
In June this year, encrypted ISIS-K accounts were abruptly deactivated through what appeared to be a “kill switch,” sparking speculation across extremist monitoring platforms.
Since then, the group’s propaganda output has dropped significantly, a decline now linked to Pakistan’s targeted intelligence operations and arrests of senior media operatives.
While English-language propaganda has largely stalled, ISIS-K continues limited messaging in other languages, possibly through external hosting or satellite-based systems.
From local broadcaster to militant spokesman
Born in 1980 in Nangarhar’s Bati Kot district, Azzam began his career in local media, working with radio stations such as Spinghar Radio, Hamesha Bahar Radio, and Nan Radio.
He later transitioned into militant propaganda after reportedly joining ISIS-K around 2013–2014, using his media expertise to shape the group’s public narrative.
His case highlights how extremist groups recruit individuals with professional communication skills to amplify ideological messaging.
In December 2021, the US Treasury designated Sultan Aziz Azzam as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.
The designation reflected international recognition of the strategic role propaganda plays in ISKP recruitment and radicalization efforts.
