NEW YORK: A recent report by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has indicated that there are signs suggesting banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has received substantial logistical and operational support from the Afghan Taliban.
According to the report by the Security Council’s Monitoring Team, the Taliban have maintained a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups that pose serious threats to other UN member states. The report further states that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan (ISIL-K) remains the most significant regional and international threat operating from Afghanistan.
The report rejects the Afghan Taliban’s claim that militant groups are not using Afghan territory to carry out cross-border attacks, calling the assertion not credible. It warns that neighboring states increasingly view Afghanistan as a source of regional insecurity.
These findings are part of the 16th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted to the UN Security Council.
The report notes that cross-border attacks have resulted in military confrontations, causing multiple casualties and disrupting bilateral trade. It estimates that border closures with Pakistan have inflicted losses of approximately $10 million per day on the Afghan economy. It also highlights that the TTP has expanded its range of targets.
UN member states were informed that several countries continue to report the presence of ISIL-K, TTP, Al-Qaeda, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Jamaat Ansarullah, Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, and other militant groups in Afghanistan.
According to the report, Taliban authorities continue to deny responsibility for failing to curb TTP activities, despite varying degrees of sympathy and loyalty toward the group within Taliban ranks. Some senior Taliban members reportedly view the TTP as a liability that unnecessarily strains relations with Pakistan, while others remain supportive. Due to historical ties, the report suggests the Taliban are unlikely to confront the TTP and may lack the capacity to do so even if they wished.
The UN report states that the TTP has carried out multiple high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory, making it the most serious immediate challenge to relations between Kabul and Islamabad. The number of TTP attacks in Pakistan has increased in 2025, with estimates suggesting more than 600 attacks have already taken place this year.
In January, the TTP reportedly issued new directives expanding its targets to include military-owned businesses, significantly increasing its focus on the economic interests of Pakistan’s armed forces and Chinese businesses operating in the country.
The report also points to cooperation between the TTP and other militant groups. While acknowledging some progress in Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, it notes several high-profile arrests, including the arrest of ISIL-K spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azzam on May 16, 2025. Overall, the report concludes that counterterrorism operations by Pakistani authorities have reduced ISIL-K’s operational capabilities.
