Despite mounting international concern and verified intelligence reports, the Taliban government in Kabul has categorically denied the presence of foreign militant groups operating inside Afghanistan. In a recent statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the country is fully under the control of a “unified, secure, and sovereign government” and that no group is allowed to use Afghan territory to threaten others.
However, ground realities contradict these claims. Several well-known extremist groups—including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), ISIS-K, and various other foreign fighters—have continued to operate freely inside Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
According to multiple independent security assessments and regional intelligence agencies:
TTP has regrouped and launched numerous attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil, prompting repeated protests from Islamabad.
TIP (a Uyghur extremist group) maintains training camps in northeastern Afghanistan, posing a threat to China’s western border.
ISIS-K has carried out high-profile attacks across Afghanistan and remains a growing threat with regional ambitions.
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee recently raised alarms about Afghanistan becoming a renewed safe haven for terrorism. Yet, instead of addressing these threats, the Taliban dismissed the concerns as part of a “media and political project” designed to undermine their legitimacy.
Analysts say this dismissal is part of the Taliban’s strategy to maintain an image of order while avoiding international accountability. Meanwhile, regional governments grow increasingly frustrated with Kabul’s denialism and lack of cooperation on counterterrorism.
“The Taliban can deny all they want, but the world sees what’s happening,” said a regional security analyst. “Militants from across Asia are gathering in Afghanistan, and the regime is either unwilling or unable to stop them.”
As long as these armed non-state actors operate openly, questions over the Taliban’s role—not just as rulers, but as enablers of extremism—will continue to dominate international discourse.
