Major Blow to ISIS-K as Security Forces Arrest Group’s Spokesman Sultan Aziz Azzam

Pakistan’s security agencies have dealt a major blow to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) with the arrest of the group’s spokesman and a key ideological figure, Sultan Aziz Azzam, also known as a Khawarij terrorist, sources confirmed.

According to officials, Sultan Aziz Azzam — the official spokesperson of ISIS-K and the founder of its central media and propaganda wing, the Al-Azaim Foundation — was arrested during a highly sensitive intelligence-led operation. The Al-Azaim Foundation is regarded as one of the most influential platforms used by ISIS-K for recruitment, radicalization, and dissemination of extremist ideology.

Sources revealed that following Azzam’s arrest, ISIS-K’s media and propaganda operations have been effectively suspended, significantly disrupting the group’s communication network.

Pakistani authorities have intensified counterterrorism operations in recent months, resulting in several high-profile arrests of ISIS-K operatives. The arrest of Sultan Aziz Azzam on May 16, 2025, has also been documented in the 16th report of the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

The UN report acknowledges that Pakistan’s counterterrorism measures have substantially weakened ISIS-K’s organizational structure at both national and global levels. It states that multiple planned terrorist attacks were thwarted, the number of active fighters declined, and several key commanders and ideological leaders were neutralized during these operations.

The report further highlights that arrests carried out in May 2025 — including those of Sultan Aziz Azzam and senior ISIS-K leader Abu Yasser al-Turki — resulted in a significant reduction in the group’s operational capacity.

As a direct consequence, major ISIS-K propaganda outlets, including the notorious “Voice of Khorasan,” have been shut down, delivering a serious setback to the militant group’s outreach and recruitment efforts.

Security officials reiterated that counterterrorism operations will continue to ensure national security, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where more than 500 people, including security personnel, were martyred in terror attacks during 2025.