Khorasan -little known al-Qaeda off-shoot

Posted: 28/10/2014

Khorasan, also known as the Khorasan Group, refers to a group of senior al-Qaeda members who operate in Syria.

The group is reported to consist of a small number of fighters who are all on terrorist watchlists, and coordinate with the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria.

At an intelligence gathering in Washington, D.C. on 18 September 2014, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper stated that "in terms of threat to the homeland, Khorasan may pose as much of a danger as the Islamic State, made interesting by the fact that only 50 people are assumed to hold membership.

Membership

The group is described as "a very small group - dozens of fighters only", composed of experienced jihadis from various countries. The group is believed to be made up of "al-Qaeda core" members, meaning the high-ranking members of al-Qaeda who moved to Pakistan following the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.

An American intelligence source indicated the group numbers about 50 members with some having worked with bomb-makers from Yemen.

The organisation is reported to be led by Muhsin al-Fadhli, a prominent al-Qaeda member who went to Iran after the US invasion of Afghanistan. Muhsin al-Fadhli's current whereabouts is unconfirmed, however he has been reported dead on social media by several known al-Qaeda members. 

There are indications that some members of the Khorasan Group (including Abu Yusuf Al-Turki) were part of an elite sniper subunit of the al-Nusra Front that was known as the Wolf Group; also known as the al-Qaeda Snipers.

The Khorasan group was targeted at the same time as air strikes were launched against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in September. Little was known about the Khorasan group before US Central Command announced it had launched 46 cruise missiles against eight of the group's training camps and command centres to the west of Aleppo in Syria.

Some in media circles have alleged the group's abilities were exaggerated to generate public support for American intervention in Syria. It wil be interesting to see how much more we hear of them in future conflict, says RPS.

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Photo: The Khorasan group is reportedly led by Muhsin al-Fadhli Photo: US State Department

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