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A LINFORMATION

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Canada Border
Services Agency

Agence des services

frontaliers du Canada

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Issued: September2014
Expiry November 2014

Area of Concern: AU

INTELLIGENCE BRIEF
Intelligence Operations and Analysis Division

Security Intelligence Section

Khorasan Group Brief

Executive Summary

Open-source reporting states that al Qaeda senior leadership (AQ) has sent several veteran AQ fighters
from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria. These AQ fighters linked up with the AQ affiliate in Syria,
Jahbat ai-Nusra (IN) and formed an organization known as the Khorasan Group. (U)
While some Khorasan Group members have fought against the Assad regime the primary purpose of
the organization is reportedly to recruit, train and task Western foreign fighters to carly out attacks
against Western targets such as commercial passenger flights and possibly to conduct attacks in their
home countries. (U)
The Khorasan Group is reportedly working closely with members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP), particularly in how to construct and smuggle explosive devices. Open source reporting
indicates that it was a plot by the Khorasan Group and AQAP to attack commercial passenger flights
that led the US Transportation Security Administration in July 2014 to ban uncharged mobile phones
and laptops from flights to the US that originated in Europe or the Middle East. (U)

The purpose of this assessment is to provide information on the a! Qaeda-linked terrorist organization the
Khorasan Group in Syria. The Khorasan Group is believed to be trainingforeignfightersfrom Europe and North
America to conduct attacks against Western targets, possibly including attacks in the foreign fighters home
countries. This product can be distributed to all officers ofthe Agency as it intends to provide situational
awareness.
Background
1.

Individuals from Canada have travelled to conflict zones such as SomalIa and more recently, Syria to
take part in conflicts as foreign fighters. The pace of movement of foreign fighters into Syria has
accelerated since 2011, a recent Central Intelligence Agency estimate says as there are many as
15,000 foreign fighters, including 2,000+ individuals from Western nations, in Syria. (U)

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in the Government Security Policy and the CBSA Security Policies. If access is requested under the Access to information Act or the Privacy Act,
no decision should be taken without prior consultation with the originator, as the information may be subject to exemptions. Requests for
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2. AQ senior leadership has reportedly sent several veteran fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan to
Syria, SIS does not have an estimate of original number these fighters at this time. The AQ fighters
have linked up with IN, the local AQ affiliate in Syria. The AQ members formed an organization the
Khorasan Group and set up training camps in areas of Syria controlled by IN.U (U)
3. The primary purpose of the Khorasan Group is reportedly to recruit, train and task foreign fighters
from Europe and North America to carry out attacks against Western targets including commercial
aviation and possibly in the foreign fighters home countries.
tm (U)
Analysis
4. The Khorasan Group is reportedly working closely with members of al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula to train the foreign fighters in making and smuggling explosive devices. Reported
collaboration between the Khorasan Group, AQAPs bomb-makers and Western foreign fighters led
the US Transportation Security Administration in July to place a ban on uncharged mobile phones
and laptops from flights to the US originating in Europe and the Middle East.v (U)
5. The Khorasan group may include individuals from Canada, including Canadian citizens, and citizens
of visa-exempt countries in Europe. Members of the Khorasan Group represent a direct threat to
Canada and Canadian interests worldwide as they could conduct attacks against civilian passenger
flights or travel to Canada with the intent to carry out attacks in this country. (U)
Update

September 23, 2014

6. On September 23, 2014 the armed forces of the US launched military strikes against Khorasan Group
targets located in Syria. The US air and missile strikes hit multiple sites including a training facility,
command and control center, communications center and a bomb-making site. The strikes were
launched to disrupt imminent threat of attack upon US interests by members of the Khorasan
Group. It is unknown at this time what the terrorist attack target or targets were. It is also unknown
how badly damaged the overall structure of the Khorasan Group is after the US attack.
Implications for the CBSA
7.

CBSA frontline personnel would be the first government officials to encounter returning foreign
fighters including individuals trained by the Khorasan Group..
(PB)

8. The recent passing of the Combating Terrorism Act introduced new legal offenses that prohibit
individuals from leaving or attempting to leave Canada for the purposes of committing specified
terrorism offenses, including training with a terrorist organization. (PB)

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.

This document is the property of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and should not be reclassified or disseminated without prior
consent of the originator. The information must be stored, transmitted, and safeguarded in accordance with its classification level, as outlined
in the Government Security Policy and the CBSA Security Policies, If access is requested under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Ad,
no decision should be taken without prior consultation with the originator, as the information may be subject to exemptions. Requests for
additional use should be forwarded to the Security Intelligence Section at

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Contact For more information, please contact the Security Intelligence Section by phone at

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End Notes
Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal: On the CIA estimate ofnumber offighters in the Islamic State (13 09 2014).
Ken Dilanian and Eileen Sullivan, Associated Press: al-Qaidas Syrian cell alarms US(13 092014)
Ibid
IV

Ibid
Paul Cruickshank and Tim Uster, CNN: U.S. Strikes Khorasan Group in Syria, which posed imminent threat to West (2309

2014)

PROTECTiON SERVICES NTEGRITY

This document is the property of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and should not be reclassified or disseminated without prior
consent of the originator. The information must be stored, transmitted, and safeguarded in accordance with its classification level, as outlined
in the Government Security Policy and the CBSA Security Policies. If access is requested under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act,
no decision should be taken without prior consultation with the originator, as the information may be subject to exemptions. Requests for
additional use should be forwarded to the Security intelligence Section at