Speculation around the identity of the infamous “Khurasan Lion”, an ISKP-linked Turkish propagandist, has been developing since the arrest of a senior ISKP member by Pakistan authorities coincided with rumors from IS supporters that the “Khurasan Lion” had been arrested.
On 1st June, Pakistan released an outdated image of a senior operative of the ISKP group, Ozgur Altun, alias “Abu Yasir al-Turki”, following his arrest and extradition to Turkiye. Described as the highest ranking member of the ISKP group, he played a key role in the group’s propaganda and was even promoted in a IS-publication as the group’s ‘media spokesperson’. Al-Turki has even been linked to the group’s logistics operations, purportedly involved in coordinating the movement of fighters from Europe and Central-Asia to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, and has even been accused of orchestrating attacks across Europe and Turkiye, targeting crowded places such as concert venues.
Pakistan’s Inter-Servicfes Intelligence (ISI) and Turkiye’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) made the arrest whilst al-Turki was attempting to cross the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan after increased cooperation between Turkish and Pakistani authorities. He was later deported to Turkiye where he was questioned and confessed as to his role in the group. al-Turki confessed that he was in charge of Daesh publications in Turkish and English, helping to arrange the recruitment of people from Turkiye for Daesh activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He confessed his role in motivating so-called lone wolves across the world to carry out terror attacks.
Speculation continues
Concurrently, rumors are swirling on pro-ISKP social media channels that an individual associated with the “Khurasan Lion” account has been arrested, coinciding with widespread reporting surrounding al-Turki’s arrest. “Khurasan Lion” has previously been identified as a moderator and owner on key al-Azaim channels on the RocketChat platform associated with the account or multiple users, however al-Turki’s close association with the Turkish-language suggests he was a key user of the account. The Turkish al-Azaim RocketChat channel and the Khurasan Lion account both ceased activity on 2 April.
ISKP supporters have expressed concerns over operational security, emphasizing the importance of password security and digital privacy in the aftermath of al-Turki’s arrest, whilst Ansar Cybersecurity provided advice on security measures to help individuals avoid detection by authorities. The communication suggests ISKP are concerned about operational security and resilience in the face of recent counterterrorism arrests and digital breaches, particularly of such a senior member of the group’s media operations.
Verdict
It is certainly feasible that al-Turki was associated with the Khurasan Lion. While the exact date of al-Turki’s arrest remains uncertain the lack of activity associated to Khurasan Lion account potentially coincides with this arrest. Al-Turki has himself professed to having a similar remit with ISKP to that of Khurasan Lion.
It is obvious from recent social media activity that there are plenty in IS circles who believe that the two are the same individual, which suggests that al-Turki’s arrest is an even greater blow to the organization that is being portrayed.
If al-Turki is the ‘Khurasan Lion’, we here at Terrorleaks all hope he enjoys the zoo…