In a grave assessment delivered to the UN Security Council, a panel of UN experts has warned that ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) poses the “most serious threat” to the security of Europe, the United States, and regional stability, citing its growing use of online platforms to radicalize individuals and attract foreign fighters to Afghanistan.
The report paints a stark picture of Afghanistan’s transformation into a magnet for international jihadists. Since the Taliban’s return to power, the experts noted, ISIS-K has not only expanded its regional footprint but also intensified efforts to inspire and direct attacks abroad through sophisticated propaganda and recruitment strategies.
“Afghanistan is once again becoming a hub for foreign terrorists,” the experts said, warning that the country’s fragile security landscape is being exploited by ISIS-K to regroup and project violence beyond its borders.
The report links a number of recent terror plots directly to ISIS-K, some influenced by the ongoing Gaza-Israel conflict and others driven by online radicalization campaigns. Experts cautioned that the influx of foreign fighters into Afghanistan and Central Asia is a calculated move by ISIS-K to destabilize the region and establish a broader base of operations.
Notably, the group has issued explicit threats against U.S. interests, reflecting its transnational ambitions and readiness to strike far beyond Afghan territory.
American officials, echoing the UN’s findings, described ISIS-K as a “serious and growing threat to international security.” They warned that the Taliban’s inability or unwillingness to curtail the group’s expansion risks turning Afghanistan into a sanctuary for global terrorism once again.
The UN experts called for urgent, coordinated international efforts to disrupt ISIS-K’s recruitment networks, block foreign fighter flows, and prevent the group from exploiting Afghanistan’s instability to orchestrate global attacks.
The report serves as a timely and urgent reminder of the evolving threat landscape, urging the global community not to underestimate the strategic intent and reach of ISIS-K.
