In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 1822 (2008) and subsequent related resolutions, the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee makes accessible a narrative summary of reasons for the listing for individuals, groups, undertakings and entities included in the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.
Khatiba Imam al-Bukhari (KIB) was listed on 29 March 2018 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) as being associated with ISIL or Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of ” and “other acts or activities indicating association with” Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant (QDe.137).
Khatiba Imam al-Bukhari (KIB) was established in 2011 in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border area by fighters who had split from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (QDe.010). Since March 2015, the group has been actively collaborating with Jabhat al-Nusrah, listed as Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant (QDe.137) and its successor armed groups. As of March 2018, KIB is based in Khan-Shaykhun (53 km south of Idlib), the Syrian Arab Republic, and its operational zone spreads across the Syrian provinces of Idlib, Aleppo and Khama.
KIB commands up to 500 foreign terrorist fighters in the Syrian Arab Republic, most of them are nationals of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation, including Russian nationals originated from the North Caucasus region. KIB conducted recruitment mainly among nationals of Uzbekistan, including through social networks.
KIB fighters supported by Jabhat Al-Nusrah commit terrorist attacks against military and civilian installations in the Syrian Arab Republic. While trying to avoid direct engagements with Syrian government forces, KIB also kidnaps civilians. KIB’s arsenal includes Grad multiple launch rocket systems, anti-tank missile systems, and motorcars equipped with heavy artillery guns.
KIB leaders view Afghanistan as a new staging ground to project attacks against neighboring Central Asia countries. Since 2016, KIB fighters have been redeployed from the Syrian Arab Republic to the north of Afghanistan (Faryab, Baghdis and Jowzjan Provinces) with a view to setting up training camps and organizing special terrorist training for new recruits. IB has an approximate strength of 80-100 fighters in Afghanistan.