ISLAMABAD – Major blow to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) as Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, one of the group’s most senior leaders, in May 2025. Azzam is widely regarded as ISKP’s second-in-command and the founder of Al-Azaim Media, the organization’s powerful propaganda and recruitment arm.
Born in 1978 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, Sultan Aziz Azzam is a graduate of Nangarhar University. He later emerged as a central figure within ISKP, heading Al-Azaim Media, which played a critical role in spreading extremist ideology, producing propaganda material, and facilitating recruitment and outreach for the terrorist group across the region.
Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and quickly rose through the ranks due to his influence over the group’s information and media operations. His activities drew international attention, leading the United States to designate him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in November 2021 for his key role in advancing ISKP’s extremist agenda and operational messaging.
Security officials say Azzam’s arrest represents a major setback to ISKP’s leadership structure and propaganda machinery, disrupting one of the group’s most critical operational pillars.
The high profile arrest shows Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to counter transnational terrorism and dismantle militant networks operating in and beyond the region.
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