After Wilayat Hind, Islamic State casually announces Wilayat Pakistan

On Wednesday, the Islamic State terror group casually announced a “province” in Pakistan, days after the terrorist organization used the name “Hind Province” for an attack it claimed in the India-ruled portion of the disputed Kashmir region.

Both of the divisions formerly fell under the “Khorasan Province” or ISKP — the name the Middle East-based terrorist group uses for its regional operations launched in early 2015 from bases in the border region of Afghanistan.

The “Islamic State Pakistan Province,” in communiques issued via its global propaganda mouthpiece Amaq News Agency, took credit for killing a Pakistani police officer this week in Mastung, and it reported shooting at a gathering of suspected Taliban militants in Quetta.

BREAKING:

Islamic State claiming to have killed a policeman in Quetta, Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/M9xMR501mk

— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) May 15, 2019

BREAKING:

Here we go, Islamic State is also claiming the Mastung assassination now. And another one in Quetta (see top tweet).

Also, IS just casually announced Wilayat Pakistan. WHAT THE HELL. pic.twitter.com/e6LT2jflnV

— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) May 15, 2019

CCTV footage # 2 of the gunman who killed a traffic policeman in Mastung, Balochistan, Pakistan:

via @PhilanthropistI pic.twitter.com/F0sj2I9OhF

— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) May 12, 2019

UPDATE:

Local journalist confirms to me that the man killed last night in Quetta was from Afghanistan. IS claim said it killed a Taliban member. #Pakistan https://t.co/Yus3Zhhiwl

— F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) May 15, 2019

There was no immediate reaction available from the Pakistani government.

Islamabad maintains there is no “organized” presence of IS in the country. Pakistani military officials say an ongoing nationwide military-led “intelligence-based operation” is primarily aimed at denying space in Pakistan to extremists linked to any terrorist groups.