A recent report submitted to the United Nations Security Council has raised serious concerns over Afghanistan’s role in regional instability, citing credible indications that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has continued to receive substantial logistical and operational support from the Afghan Taliban. The findings challenge repeated assurances by Kabul that Afghan soil is not being used for cross-border militancy and underscore growing risks to regional and international security.
According to the 16th report of the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the Taliban have maintained a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups whose activities pose grave threats to member states. The report states that multiple indicators suggest sustained Taliban facilitation of the TTP, enabling the group to operate, plan, and launch attacks from Afghan territory.
The monitoring team identified the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan Province (ISIL-K) as the most serious threat at the Afghan, regional, and international levels. At the same time, it highlighted the continued operational strength of the TTP, attributing this in part to Taliban support. The report explicitly rejected Taliban claims that militant groups are neither present nor operating from Afghan soil, describing such assertions as lacking credibility. It warned that neighboring states increasingly view Afghanistan as a source of regional insecurity.
The Security Council was informed that cross-border militant attacks have triggered military confrontations, resulting in multiple casualties and causing significant disruption to bilateral trade. Beyond the human toll, the report estimated that the closure of border crossings with Pakistan has inflicted daily economic losses of approximately $10 million on Afghanistan’s already fragile economy. It further noted that the TTP has expanded the scope and ambition of its targets.
Despite Taliban authorities consistently denying the presence or activities of terrorist groups within Afghanistan, the UN report stressed that these denials contradict repeated and consistent reporting by member states. The Taliban, it recalled, had committed under the 2020 Doha Agreement to prevent Afghan territory from being used against other countries—a pledge the report suggests has not been honored in practice.
Member states were briefed that several terrorist organizations continue to operate in Afghanistan, including ISIL-K, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, al-Qaeda, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Jamaat Ansarullah, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, and other extremist groups. The report noted that Taliban officials persist in deflecting responsibility for failing to restrain the TTP, while internal Taliban dynamics reveal varying degrees of sympathy and loyalty toward the group.
According to the UN assessment, divisions within the Taliban leadership further complicate efforts to curb TTP activities. Some senior Taliban figures reportedly view the TTP as a liability that unnecessarily strains relations with Pakistan and oppose its actions, while others remain supportive. Given longstanding historical and ideological ties, the report concluded that the Taliban are unlikely to confront or take decisive action against the TTP. Even if they were willing, the monitoring team suggested that the Taliban may lack the capacity to do so effectively.
The report emphasized that the TTP has carried out numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory, making it the most immediate and severe challenge to relations between Kabul and Islamabad. It noted a sharp increase in TTP attacks during 2025, with some estimates indicating that more than 600 attacks have already taken place inside Pakistan this year.
In January, the report said, the TTP issued a new directive expanding its list of targets to include military-owned businesses. This shift marked a significant escalation in the group’s strategy, placing greater emphasis on Pakistan’s military and on Chinese commercial interests operating in the country.
The UN monitoring team also pointed to growing cooperation between the TTP and other militant organizations, further amplifying the security threat. While highlighting these concerns, the report acknowledged certain counterterrorism gains by Pakistan, including multiple high-profile arrests. Among these was the arrest on May 16, 2025, of ISIL-K spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azam, which the report cited as a notable development.
Overall, the UN assessment concluded that sustained counterterrorism operations by Pakistani authorities have degraded the operational capabilities of ISIL-K. However, it warned that as long as militant groups continue to find space, support, and safe haven in Afghanistan, the threat of cross-border terrorism will persist, undermining regional stability and international security.
