A division of ISIS could launch an attack against Americans in Europe and Asia within six months, a top US military official has claimed.
US Army General Michael Kurilla has said that the Islamic State - Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K, is rapidly developing the ability to conduct "external operations" in Europe and Asia.
As a result, he said the group poses a significant threat to American or Western interests.
The general believes that the terrorist group, which operates in Afghanistan, will be able to carry out attacks with little or no warning in less than six months.
He noted that while an attack on the US homeland is less likely, hundreds of thousands of US citizens living abroad could be in the range of an attack.
The US military withdrew its troops from Afghanistan in August 2021 and instead has been collecting intelligence without a permanent military presence in the country.
During a committee hearing at the US Department of Defence, Gen. Kurilla said: "In Afghanistan, the Taliban's hold on security is maintained through ideology, continued humanitarian aid and the persistent abuse of human rights to dissuade unrest.
"Extremist groups see opportunity and ISIS Khorasan grows emboldened, seeking to expand its ranks and inspire, enable and direct attacks in the region and beyond with the ultimate goal to strike on the American homeland."
Senator Tom Cotton then responded with the remark that "when you add up all the troops you have in your area of responsibility and American citizens who are there for business or tourism or pilgrimages on any given day [that amounts to] at least hundreds of thousands within range of a terrorist attack [...] in a mere six months, from Afghanistan."
The general confirmed that the US has only conducted one "kinetic" counterterrorism operation so far, a drone strike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, and two "non-kinetic" operations that have disrupted terrorist activity.
However, the quality of US intelligence has degraded since the pullout from Afghanistan, with the US being able to see only the "broad counters" of an attack but lacking the "granularity to see the full picture".
The general stated that his command is working to close the intelligence gap by investing in long-duration, high-altitude technology that can stay in the air for days and weeks.
The command's size has shrunk by 85% since its peak in 2008 when the US was at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the US military has reoriented to higher-priority targets.
The general impressed on lawmakers that he needs more support for the analysts, linguists, and other parts of the "analytical backside" that are critical for decision-making.
The ISIS-K has killed or injured at least 700 people in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021.
The terrorist group carried out four high-profile attacks from December 2022 to January, hitting Afghanistan's foreign ministry, the military section of Kabul's airport, the Pakistani embassy, and a hotel housing Chinese guests.
