On August 3, 2023, the Islamic State (IS) media outlet al-Furqān announced the passing of the previous Caliph*, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, and the appointment of the new Caliph, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. This announcement was made through an audio statement from the new IS spokesperson, Abu Huthayfa Al-Ansari. In the statement, it was disclosed that Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi was killed, and Abu Omar Al-Muhajir, the former spokesperson, was captured during a clash with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) near Idlib, Syria.
The statement also denied that Turkish forces killed Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi in Syria in April 2023. IS claimed that he was killed by HTS, and his body was handed over to the Turkish Government.
Following the announcement, supporters took to Telegram to proclaim bay’ah* to the new Caliph. Soon after, IS Telegram channels released images of different Wilayat* pledging allegiance, including Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP).
Image analysis: fewer and smaller cells
ISKP was the eleventh Wilayat to release pledges, posting 15 images of ISKP fighters pledging allegiance to the new Caliph. Analysis by Afghan Witness (AW) shows the images portrayed eight different cells, which range in size from two to nine men, with a total of 36 fighters. Most cells were composed of three men, who were shown carrying a range of small arms. All cell members have their faces fully covered and eyes blurred, making identification difficult.
Several notable observations can be made when comparing the latest batch of images to previous content released by ISKP following the deaths of the then-Caliphs.
On March 11, 2022, and December 1, 2022, IS Telegram channels released images of their bay’ah to the [at that time] new IS Caliph Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi (following the reported death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi in February 2022) and Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi (following the death of Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who was allegedly killed in Daraa province, Syria, in mid-October during clashes with local rebels).
In March 2022, ISKP released a series of 29 images showcasing 15 cells. AW’s analysis indicated that the total count of fighters was 84, distributed among cells ranging from three to thirteen members, with the majority showing four or five individuals. By December 2022, ISKP released 27 images depicting 16 distinct cells with varying sizes of two to ten members, totalling 67 fighters [including one child]. Previous releases contained larger cells with a higher number of members, as well as images that could be geolocated and showed identifiable faces, as demonstrated below.