UN Report Confirms Arrest of ISIS-K Spokesman Sultan Aziz Azzam by Pakistani Intelligence

Foreign terrorist Sultan Aziz Aizam arrested / Photo File (X/@MarkhorGB1)

Pakistani intelligence agencies have arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, the spokesperson of the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist organisation, dealing a major blow to the group’s global propaganda and recruitment network.

According to details cited in the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team’s 16th report, Sultan Aziz Azzam was arrested on May 16. He is the founder of the organisation’s official media wing, the Al-Azaim Foundation, which has played a central role in ISIS-K’s recruitment, messaging and international propaganda activities.

Following his arrest, ISIS-K’s media operations were reportedly suspended. The UN report noted that Pakistan has carried out several high-profile operations against ISIS-K in recent months, significantly disrupting the group’s command structure, operational capacity and ideological outreach.

The report stated that Pakistan’s actions have weakened ISIS-K’s global organisational framework, leading to the failure of multiple planned attacks, a reduction in the number of fighters, and the neutralisation of key commanders and ideological leaders.

The arrest of Sultan Aziz Azzam, along with Abu Yaser al-Turki, has caused a substantial decline in the group’s operational strength. As a result, major propaganda platforms such as “Voice of Khorasan” have also been rendered inactive.

The UN report further highlighted that Pakistan continues to face serious security challenges due to cross-border attacks by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating from Afghan soil. It rejected the Afghan Taliban’s claim that no terrorist groups are present in Afghanistan, calling the assertion unreliable.

According to the report, more than 600 TTP attacks were recorded inside Pakistan during 2025, escalating border tensions and causing significant loss of life. Pakistani forces, however, succeeded in thwarting many planned attacks.

The report warned that TTP has expanded its strategy to target Pakistani and Chinese projects, while noting that although ISIS-K has been suppressed, it remains a serious threat within and beyond Afghanistan.

The presence of multiple international terrorist networks in Afghanistan continues to pose a major risk to regional security. The UN concluded that Pakistan remains a frontline state affected by terrorism, with militant sanctuaries across the border acting as a fundamental obstacle to peace in the region.