ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security and intelligence agencies have achieved a major success by arresting the spokesperson of ISIS Khorasan (ISIS-K) in a significant operation.
According to media reports, the arrested individual has been identified as Sultan Aziz Azzam, the spokesperson of ISIS-K and founder of the group’s official media wing, the Al-Azaim Foundation. He was taken into custody by Pakistani intelligence agencies while attempting to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan.
Sources say the Al-Azaim Foundation is considered the central organization responsible for recruitment and propaganda activities of ISIS-K. Following Sultan Aziz Azzam’s arrest, the group’s media and propaganda operations have reportedly been suspended.
In recent days, Pakistani authorities have carried out several high-profile arrests against ISIS-K, including the arrest of Sultan Aziz Azzam.
The 16th report of the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team has also highlighted these developments, stating that Pakistan’s actions have weakened ISIS-K’s organizational structure at the global level. The report notes that several planned terrorist attacks were foiled and that the number of ISIS-K fighters has declined following these arrests.
According to the BBC, the arrested terrorist belongs to Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and had a journalism background, which enabled him to run ISIS-K’s media wing in a highly organized and effective manner. Intelligence agencies detained him in May while he was attempting to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan.
Pakistan Television (PTV) reports that Sultan Aziz Azzam was born in 1978 in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. He is a graduate of Nangarhar University and previously served as the head of ISIS-K’s “Al-Azaim” media channel. PTV also reports that the United States designated him a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in November 2021.
Citing PTV sources, the BBC reported that Sultan Aziz Azzam joined ISIS-K in 2016 and was arrested in May 2025 while entering Pakistan from Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s state news agency, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), has also published the news, stating that the arrest took place several months ago but was disclosed only recently. According to APP, following his arrest, ISIS-K’s media and propaganda activities were effectively shut down.
APP further reports that Pakistani authorities have made several significant arrests against ISIS-K in recent days, including the arrest of Sultan Aziz Azzam on May 16, 2025.
Security experts say the arrest has delivered a major blow to ISIS-K’s media and propaganda network and has played an important role in reducing the threat of terrorism in the region.
