ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan-based terror groups targeting Pakistan pose a growing threat to regional security, with the United Nations warning that militant networks have access to operational space, training and advanced weapons.
The UN Monitoring Team’s 38th report said terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan have access to operational space, training infrastructure, advanced weapons and foreign fighters.
The report identified several groups, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to in Pakistan as Fitna al-Khawarij, al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and the former Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), now known as the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP).
It said TTP had intensified its campaign against Pakistan.
The UN warned that the presence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan poses a continuing threat to Pakistan, Central Asia and international security.
TTP network remains active against Pakistan
The report said terrorism from Afghanistan remains a key driver of regional tensions.
Cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have further complicated the situation, it added.
The monitoring team said the Taliban authorities had failed to take effective action against TTP. This has allowed the group to maintain space for attacks against Pakistan.
According to the report, TTP increased its attacks against Pakistan and called for operations against Pakistani security forces and civilians under the name “Operation Khyber.”
The report cited a Feb. 16 attack in Bajaur in which 11 security personnel and a child were killed. Pakistani authorities linked the attack to the TTP network based in Afghanistan. Twelve militants were later killed, according to the report.
The monitoring team also alleged that the Taliban authorities had transferred advanced weapons to TTP.
It said large quantities of modern weapons remain in the hands of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, five years after the Taliban returned to power.
TTP announces new structure, air force
The monitoring team said TTP announced a new organizational structure on Dec. 25, 2025.
The structure included a so-called “TTP Air Force.”
The development, the report said, reflected the group’s growing organizational and military capabilities.
The report also noted closer ties between al Qaeda and TTP.
On April 28, al Qaeda publicly supported TTP’s campaign against Pakistan for the first time, it said.
According to the UN, al Qaeda provides TTP with ideological guidance, training and operational support.
Members of al Qaeda’s leadership also remain in Kabul, the report said. Some have reportedly received identification documents that facilitate their movement.
Al Qaeda expands regional network
The report said al Qaeda continues to maintain a presence in Afghanistan while becoming more organized as a regional terrorist network.
The monitoring team said cooperation among terrorist groups in Afghanistan is also expanding.
These links are changing the nature of the terrorist threat across the region, it warned.
TIP expands bases and drone capabilities
The report said ETIM, now operating as TIP, had reorganized itself in Badakhshan.
The group has also established new strongholds in Kunduz, according to the monitoring team.
It said TIP had increased its military preparations, drone capabilities and training activities in Nuristan.
Afghanistan is also becoming an increasingly attractive destination for foreign terrorist fighters, the report said.
Terrorist groups are encouraging their members to move from Syria to Afghanistan.
The report cited the arrival of several fighters, including Saifuddin Tajibayev, Gulmurod Khalimov and Abu Bakr Badakhshani.
It also referred to reports that some fighters affiliated with Somalia-based al-Shabaab had arrived in Afghanistan.
IS-K remains a major regional threat
The UN report described IS-K as a major threat to Afghanistan and the wider region.
IS-K claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul on Jan. 19, according to the report.
The group also carried out an attack on a Shia shrine in Herat on April 10. The attack highlighted the continuing threat faced by Afghanistan’s Shia and Hazara communities, it said.
The report also attributed a Feb. 6 mosque attack in Islamabad and the May 5 killing of Sheikh Mohammad Idris to IS-K.
The monitoring team said IS-K possesses drones, night-vision equipment and thermal imaging devices.
These capabilities have increased the group’s operational capacity and raised the threat posed by its attacks, it said.
Advanced weapons boost militant capabilities
The report said terrorist groups in Afghanistan have access to advanced weapons, particularly night-vision systems.
Such equipment has significantly increased their combat capabilities, the monitoring team said.
The UN also warned that the threat extends beyond conventional terrorism.
It said al Qaeda and Islamic State networks continue to seek capabilities linked to chemical and biological weapons.
Terrorists use AI for propaganda
The report also raised concerns over the growing use of technology by terrorist groups.
IS-K has started using artificial intelligence to produce and rapidly distribute propaganda material, it said.
Terrorist groups are spreading propaganda in multiple languages.
They are also using gaming platforms and other online spaces to attract young people to extremist causes.
The UN said social isolation, a desire for identity and belonging, and limited awareness of the consequences of extremist activity can make young people particularly vulnerable to recruitment.
In France, 80% of people involved in planning terrorist attacks since 2023 were under the age of 25, according to the report.
It also said several cases of violent extremism in Türkiye involved people under the age of 18.
Terrorist groups cooperate in Afghanistan
The report said Islamic State networks provide logistical support to Fitna al-Hindustan.
Members linked to the group also receive training from al Qaeda in Afghanistan, it said.
The monitoring team said terrorist groups are increasingly cooperating on training, movement, weapons and technology.
These links are turning Afghanistan into an environment where several groups can expand their capabilities at the same time.
Afghanistan remains a terrorism hub
Terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan have remained a major international concern since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
The UN monitoring team has continued to track the presence of al Qaeda, IS-K and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, as well as their links and regional impact.
The team’s 37th report, issued in January 2026, also focused on the terrorist threat from Afghanistan and its implications for the region.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have also increased.
Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns over cross-border attacks by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan.
Following the February 2026 Bajaur attack, Pakistan lodged a formal protest with Afghan authorities.
UN warns of wider regional threat
The 38th monitoring report presents Afghanistan’s terrorism problem as a broad and interconnected network rather than the activities of a single group.
It points to terrorist organizations, training facilities, weapons stockpiles, foreign fighters, advanced technology and growing cooperation among militant groups.
The UN said TTP, al Qaeda, IS-K and ETIM/TIP continue to enjoy operational space in Afghanistan.
Their expanding military and technological capabilities, it warned, pose a continuing threat to Pakistan, neighboring countries, Central Asia and wider international security.
