Overview
- Pakistani intelligence detained Sultan Aziz Azzam on May 16, 2025, identifying him as ISIS-K’s spokesperson and founder of its Al-Azaim media wing, according to the UN report.
- Following his detention, ISIS-K’s propaganda output was suspended, with major platforms including the publication Voice of Khorasan taken offline.
- The UN assessment credits mid-2025 arrests, including senior figure Abu Yasir al-Turki in a Turkish-Pakistani operation, with degrading the group’s media and logistics network.
- The report says counterterrorism actions foiled planned attacks, reduced fighter numbers, and neutralized key commanders, weakening ISIS-K’s overall operational capacity.
- Associated Press notes the Pakistani government has not publicly confirmed the arrest, while Pakistan TV reported Azzam was seized while attempting to cross from Afghanistan, and security officials say follow-on interrogations and forensic work continue.