The Crocus City Hall massacre by ISIS-K shows the resurging prominence of the group — two and a half years after killing 13 U.S. service members at the Kabul airport.
After emerging as a largely peaceful group initially in 2014 in eastern Afghanistan, ISIS-K quickly turned violent. Its advance was halted in 2016 in a Taliban counteroffensive, aided indirectly by U.S. airstrikes, and crippled by infighting between its Afghan and Pakistani commanders, according to a report from the U.S. Institute of Peace.
The group responded by narrowing its priorities — toning down its anti-Iran and anti-Pakistan stances in favor of focusing on Afghanistan. The victory of the Taliban brought new recruits — those who believed the group had compromised on the authenticity of its beliefs by negotiating with the Americans. Disaffected Taliban fighters and radicalized Central Asians filled
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