22 Facts About Ismail Khan

Mohammad Ismail Khan, better known as Ismail Khan, is an Afghan former military officer, warlord and politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before that served as the governor of Herat Province.

Ismail Khan's reputation gained him the nickname Lion of Herat.

Ismail Khan was a key member of the now exiled political party Jamiat-e Islami and of the now defunct United National Front party.

In 2021, Ismail Khan returned to arms to help defend Herat from the Taliban's offensive, which he and the Afghan Army lost.

Ismail Khan was captured by the Taliban forces and then reportedly fled to Iran on 16 August 2021.

In early 1979, Ismail Khan was a captain in the Afghan Army based in the western city of Herat.

Ismail Khan escaped to the countryside where he began to assemble a local rebel force.

Ismail Khan even tried to attack the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, but was repulsed.

Ismail Khan was forced to flee to neighboring Iran with 8,000 men, and the Taliban took over Herat Province.

Ismail Khan took over control of the city from the local ulema and quickly established control over the trade route between Herat and Iran, a large source of revenue.

However, during his tenure as governor, Ismail Khan was accused of ruling his province like a private fiefdom, leading to increasing tensions with the Afghan Transitional Administration.

Ismail Khan was ultimately removed from power in March 2004 due to pressure by neighbouring warlords and the central Afghan government.

Ismail Khan was forced to give up his governorship and to go to Kabul, where he served in Hamid Karzai's cabinet as the Minister of Energy.

In 2005 Ismail Khan became the Minister of Water and Energy.

The government believes that Ismail Khan is attempting to create some kind of disruption in the country.

On September 27,2009, Ismail Khan survived a suicide blast that killed 4 of his bodyguards in Herat, in western Afghanistan.

Ismail Khan was driving to Herat Airport when a powerful explosion occurred close to his convoy of vehicles.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility and said Ismail Khan was the target.

Hekmati had played a key role in helping Ismail Khan escape from the Taliban in 1999.

In July 2021, Ismail Khan mobilized hundreds of his loyalists in Herat in support of the Afghan Armed Forces to defend the city from an offensive by the Taliban.

Ismail Khan said that a conspiracy was responsible for Herat being captured by the Taliban.

Unlike other mujahideen commanders, Ismail Khan has not been linked to large-scale massacres and atrocities such as those committed after the capture of Kabul in 1992.