A new report examining the funding of terror attacks on Christians by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has found that tens of thousands of dollars are transferred every month via cryptocurrency, with Yemen serving as a key hub in the terror funding network.
ISKP is a regional branch of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation, also known as ISIS or Daesh, that operates primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan but has also carried out attacks beyond the region. “Khorasan Province” defines an area roughly contiguous with modern-day Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The report, by International Christian Concern (ICC), found that Islamic State Somalia (ISS) channels funds to ISKP affiliates in Pakistan and Turkey. The UN believes that every month ISS sends at least $25,000 to ISKP through cryptocurrency.
Efforts to disrupt the funding of global terror have had partial success, but inevitably workarounds are found.
In 2023 US special forces killed Bilal al-Sudani in Somalia. Al-Sudani is described in the report as a “key financial facilitator for the Islamic State in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond”. Indeed, the report notes that he owed his position in the terror group at least in part to his financial connections.
While this disrupted the Islamic State in the short term, the leadership of the Somali branch, in a bid to rebuild itself, fostered greater connections with IS in Yemen. The Yemeni branch has become a sort of middle-man, with the Somali IS using it to funnel funds to ISKP. In return, the Somali branch has been able to procure drones, weapons and explosives.
The report warns that Christians are seen as a particular target by the Islamic State.
“Often analysts dismiss or downplay Christian persecution because the Islamic State persecutes those who reject its ideology," the report reads.
"The Islamic State targets Christians because it rejects the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is divine. Islamic traditions regard Jesus Christ as a human prophet rather than divine.”
The report cited IS media which spoke of “the divine commands to fight Jews and Christians”, and equated US military action with Christianity.
“It is the duty of a Muslim to treat the Christians the same way they treat Muslims. Thus, just like they shred the Muslims with their airstrikes and bombshells, the duty the Muslim holds is to turn their celebrations into funerals and tragedies," one poster stated.
In its conclusion, the report recommended greater scrutiny of cryptocurrency and encrypted social media platforms, intelligence gathering, and measures to prevent Islamic State from controlling territory.
“Joint force operations must prioritise dismantling physical territory that enables Islamic State Somalia (ISS) to generate income through taxation schemes, extortion, and ransom payments," the report said.
"Preventing ISS from exploiting local populations and economic activity is essential for disrupting its financial support of ISKP. If not, campaigns against Christian communities in the Khorasan, Europe and beyond will continue.”
