A new United Nations Security Council report for 2024 has confirmed that Afghanistan remains the biggest concentration point for regional and transnational militant organisations, with more than twenty extremist groups operating from its soil. The findings come as Pakistan continues to face a rise in cross-border terrorist attacks since the collapse of the Doha ceasefire.
Rising Attacks Inside Pakistan Since Ceasefire Breakdown
According to consolidated security data, Pakistan has suffered six major terror attacks between October 19 and November 24, resulting in 40 casualties.
The attacks occurred in:
Hangu (Oct 24) – 3 casualties
Kurram (Oct 30) – 6 casualties
Wana (Nov 10) – 9 casualties
Islamabad (Nov 11) – 12 casualties
Bannu (Nov 21) – 7 casualties
Peshawar (Nov 24) – 3 casualties
Security officials say most attacks involved militants infiltrating from Afghanistan or being directed by handlers based across the border, underscoring the urgent need for the Afghan interim administration to take action against extremist sanctuaries.
UN Report Confirms 13,050 Terrorists Operating in Afghanistan
The UN Security Council report lists the following major organisations currently active in Afghanistan:
TTP (Pakistani Taliban) – 6,250 terrorists
ISKP (Daesh Khorasan) – 3,000 terrorists
Lashkar-e-Taiba – 800 terrorists
Al-Qaeda – 400 terrorists
Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) – 500 terrorists
Jaish-e-Mohammed – 500 terrorists
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) – 300 terrorists
East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) – 300 terrorists
Jamaat Ansarullah – 300 terrorists
Indian Mujahideen – 180 terrorists
In total, the report estimates around 13,050 militants operating under various networks, alliances, and umbrella structures inside Afghanistan.
Growing Security Threat for Region
The findings have amplified concerns that Afghanistan is once again becoming a permissive space for groups with anti-Pakistan agendas, particularly the banned TTP. The UN notes that these organisations benefit from logistical freedom, recruitment space and access to US-origin weapons left behind in 2021.
The data also aligns with Islamabad’s recent warnings that cross-border terrorism is intensifying, and that the Afghan authorities must take “verifiable, irreversible action” against banned groups using Afghan soil to launch attacks.
Despite repeated engagements, Pakistani officials say no measurable steps have been taken by Kabul to dismantle these sanctuaries, contributing directly to the escalation of attacks inside Pakistan over the past month.
