Khorasan: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

A new al-Qaeda offshoot has been building undetectable bombs specifically for U.S. passenger planes. A new CBS News report indicates that while the whole world panics about ISIS, al-Qaeda groups have been rebuilding their strength and are plotting again. The newest of these groups is Khoroasan.

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. They’re Building Undetectable Bombs

The members of this group are loyal to al-Qaeda commander Ayman al-Zawahri. They are based in the Syrian desert where CBS says their building new, sophisticated bombs, that cannot be detected by conventional airport security.

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2. Security Has Been Increased on U.S. Bound Flights

Passengers boarding planes to the U.S. at foreign airports are being subjected to intense searches. This in addition to laptops and phones with no battery being banned from U.S. bound flights.

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3. The Group Is Made of Bin Laden’s Comrades Who Have Been Chased Out of Pakistan

According to the Director of National Counterterrorism Center, Matt Olsen, Osama bin Laden’s old comrades from Pakistan have been chased to Syria due to the “permissive environment there.” The group is said to include Ibrahim al-Asiri, regarded as al-Qaeda’s chief bomb maker. He’s the man behind the printer cartridge bombs and underwear bombs.

The Associated Press reports that members of the group ceom from Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and Europe.

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4. America Is Khorasan’s Sole Target

One of the main differences between ISIS and Khorasan is that ISIS has stated goals in the region. CBS News reports that U.S. intelligence indicates that Khorasan’s sole purpose is for an attack on U.S. citizens or locations. According to the AP, the group’s members are also trying to recruit terrorists with U.S. passports who can travel more easily to America. While in Syria, the group has been linking up with members of the al-Nusra Front, another al-Qaeda affiliated-group.

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5. They’re Named After an Ancient Region in Iraq

The group likely takes its name from the region in Iran called Greater Khorosan. Historically, the area was much broader, stretching into Iraq and Afghanistan.