It is no news that most governments are struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Things are no different with terrorists, who often act as the de facto authority in the regions they control. This piece dives into the top 10 ways these groups are reacting to the crisis, shedding light on surprising shifts in tactics and rhetoric.
Understanding the Top 10 Ways Terrorist Groups Are Reacting
10 Taliban Lifts Ban On Health Workers And Agrees To Cooperate With WHO
The Taliban, notorious for targeting medical personnel, has a grim record: in 2019 it murdered 51 health workers and injured 142 more, prompting the World Health Organization to shutter 192 clinics across Afghanistan.
Yet the relentless march of COVID‑19 has forced a strategic pivot. With 22 confirmed cases among Afghans and fears of a rapid surge, the insurgents realized they can’t afford to alienate the very doctors they once hunted.
A Taliban spokesperson announced a willingness to collaborate with the now‑embattled WHO and other international health bodies to purge the virus from Afghan soil.
Another official added that the group is already urging citizens to heed medical advice, threatening force against non‑compliant individuals, and even mulling a suspension of congregational prayers to curb transmission.
9 Islamic State Issues Travel Advisory To Terrorists Traveling To Europe
Not long ago, the Islamic State was actively urging its fighters to head to Europe for attacks. The pandemic’s devastation across the continent, however, prompted a sudden policy reversal.
ISIS now warns its operatives against traveling to Europe, citing health risks. Moreover, the group discourages those who had already set out from returning, not out of tactical restraint, but out of fear they could import the virus back to their strongholds.
8 Hezbollah Quarantines Its Leaders After They Contracted The Virus
Most of Hezbollah’s senior commanders have already tested positive for COVID‑19 after a meeting with an Iranian official—an encounter that exposed them to the contagion.
In addition to those confirmed cases, the organization placed its supreme leader, Hassan Nasrallah, under precautionary quarantine, even though he has not been officially diagnosed. The move reflects a “better safe than sorry” approach.
7 Mahan Air Continued Flying To China
Mahan Air, a civilian carrier often labeled a terror‑linked airline due to its ties with Iran’s IRGC, blatantly ignored a governmental ban on Iran‑China flights at the pandemic’s outset.
The airline finally halted the route only in March, two months after the prohibition was imposed, ferrying countless passengers—and the virus—into Iran during the critical window.
Iran now records one of the region’s highest infection and death rates, a toll amplified by Mahan Air’s continued service. The carrier even lost a pilot to COVID‑19, underscoring the human cost of its defiance.
6 Hamas Banned All Gatherings And Suspended Congregational Prayers
Governing the densely populated Gaza Strip, Hamas faced its first COVID‑19 cases in March when two men returned from a four‑day Islamic program in Pakistan.
In response, the group shut down weddings, restaurants, shops, and all public gatherings. It also halted funerals and suspended the usual congregational prayers.
Beyond internal restrictions, Hamas instituted quarantine protocols for thousands entering Gaza from neighboring territories, aiming to seal the enclave from further viral incursions.
5 Neo‑Nazis Plan To Use It As A Bioweapon
While most extremist outfits are scrambling to avoid infection, a fringe of “White Racially Motivated Violent Extremists” in the United States—essentially neo‑Nazi adherents—have plotted to weaponize COVID‑19.
According to DHS intercepts on Telegram, members discussed bottling contaminated saliva and spraying it in areas they deem “non‑white,” as well as contaminating door handles and elevator buttons in government buildings to infect officials.
Crucially, the group insists the plan will only proceed if they themselves contract the virus first, turning the pandemic into a twisted tactical lever.
4 The Turkistan Islamic Party Said It Is God’s Punishment To China
The Turkistan Islamic Party, an al‑Qaida‑linked outfit with roots in Syria and Afghanistan, released a video during the early COVID‑19 wave accusing the virus of being divine retribution against China.
The broadcast condemned Beijing for oppressing Muslim Uighurs, destroying mosques, burning Qur’ans, and raping women, while also chastising the Chinese populace for consuming wild animals.
The TIP’s spokesperson expressed a hope that the virus would devastate China, framing the pandemic as a moral verdict.
3 Al‑Shabab Commanders Held A Meeting To Discuss How To Prevent COVID‑19
Somalia, ranked 194th out of 195 on the Johns Hopkins Global Health Security Index, suffers from a woeful healthcare system, limited testing capacity, and hospitals that turn away patients.
Coupled with rampant poverty, overcrowded slums, and a cultural norm of hand‑shaking, the nation is primed for a catastrophic outbreak.
Al‑Shabab, the dominant insurgent group, has not issued a public statement, but its senior commanders convened privately to devise strategies for keeping the virus out of their controlled territories.
Analysts believe that, should the virus breach their strongholds, the group may reluctantly permit civilians to seek treatment in government‑held zones, despite its historical hostility toward health workers.
2 Palestinian Islamic Jihad Cancels Protests Over COVID‑19
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, known for staging weekly anti‑Israel demonstrations, called off its annual “Great March of Return” this year due to the pandemic.
Instead of mass street rallies, the group urged residents to stay home, fly Palestinian flags, and burn Israeli ones from a distance. It also announced a one‑hour traffic halt, city‑wide sirens, and a low‑attendance news conference.
1 Islamic State Tells Members To Pray
In an unexpected move, the Islamic State urged its followers to pray against contracting COVID‑19 when the virus first made headlines in January.
The group also castigated the Chinese authorities for alleged opacity, claiming the true case and death counts far exceeded official figures, and accused Beijing of releasing “cured” patients back into the community.
Labeling the outbreak as divine punishment for China’s mistreatment of its Muslim minority, ISIS warned that the virus would soon spread internationally, prompting a call for believers to invoke prayers to keep it at bay.