In Istanbul, Tajik citizen Shamil Hukumatov, one of the leaders of the Khorasan cell of the Islamic State (IS-Khorasan) group, was arrested. Turkish media on June 22 reported that Hukumatov, also known as “Abu Miskin.” engaged in the recruitment of new militants for IG-Khorasan.
Shamil Hukumatov was detained on Thursday during a police raid in Istanbul. Turkish security sources told Anadolu on condition of anonymity that the Tajik man was involved in recruiting new members and raising money for IS-Khorasan.
Turkish media, citing their sources, report that the Tajik authorities have issued an arrest warrant for “Abu Miskin” – in his homeland, the alleged terrorist is accused of subversive activities.
The “Khorosan” cell of the grouping “Islamic State” (“IS-Khorasan”) was established in June 2014. On a map compiled several years ago by the leadership of the IS, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and the eastern regions of Iran were united into a territory under the common name Khurosoni Buzurg (Great Khorasan). The militants of IS-Khorasan say that their goal is to create a new Islamic state in this territory.
People from Central Asia, including Tajiks, also fight in the IG-Khorasan. A year ago, a group of UN experts in a report on the scale of the IS threat to the Security Council wrote that one of the leaders of IS-Khorasan is a native of Tajikistan, Sayvali Shafiyev, known as “Abubakri Muavia.” UN experts wrote that Shafiyev also recruits new fighters for the ISK and raises funds on the Internet and uses only the Tajik language.
According to media reports, the leader of IS-Khorasan, Sanaullah Ghaffari, nicknamed Shahab-ul-Muhajir, was recently killed in the Afghan province of Kunar. Since April 2020, Sanaullah Ghaffari has reportedly not only led IS-Khorasan, but also personally supervised all operations, including the August 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed more than 180 people. However, the Taliban have not yet confirmed Ghaffari’s death.
Turkish media report that during a police raid in Istanbul, Hukumatov’s wife, M.S., was also detained. According to sources, documents and materials related to IS-Khorasan were confiscated during a search of Khukumatov’s house.
Turkish media reported that Hukumatov was taken into custody by a court decision, his wife M.S. was released, but she remains under judicial supervision.
The reaction of the Tajik authorities to the information about the arrest of “Abu Miskin” has not yet followed. Whether Dushanbe will seek the extradition of Shamil Khukumatov to his homeland is still unknown.
Recall that in September last year, Turkey extradited Parviz Saidrakhmonov, who was detained by special services, known as Abu Dovud, to Tajikistan. At the end of 2022, a Dushanbe court sentenced Parviz Saidrakhmonov to 21 years in prison on charges of committing several serious crimes, in particular, recruiting and participating in hostilities on the territory of a foreign state, organizing a terrorist organization.
Source: RFE