AFP: The return of millions of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran could fuel the spread of ISIS in Khorasan

The dramatic increase in the number of millions of refugees returned to Afghanistan by Pakistan and Iran could lead to the expansion of the ISIS-Khorasan group, AFP reported.

“It is very likely that ISIS-K will see these newly arrived Afghans as a source of recruitment,” Hans-Jakob Schindler, former coordinator of the UN’s Monitoring Committee on Extremist Groups, told the news agency.

About 2.6 million Afghans have reportedly returned to the country since January 2025, many of whom have lived abroad for decades or are setting foot in Afghanistan for the first time.

The report also states that security in Afghanistan has improved significantly since the return of the Islamic Emirate in 2021.

So far, the Islamic Emirate has not responded to these claims, but it has previously emphasized that ISIS is no longer a threat in Afghanistan.