Afghan Taliban Claim of Not Allowing Cross-Border Attacks Rejected

The Afghan Taliban’s claim that Afghan soil is not being used by militant groups to carry out cross-border attacks has been rejected.

In its 16th report, the UN Security Council Monitoring Team termed the Taliban’s assertion as “not credible” and warned that countries in the region are increasingly viewing Afghanistan as a source of growing regional instability.

According to the report, several UN member states have informed the Monitoring Team that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, the Turkistan Islamic Party, Jamaat Ansarullah, and other militant groups remain active in Afghanistan, with some involved in planning external attacks.

The United Nations noted that Al-Qaeda maintains close ties with the Taliban, while ISKP is considered the Taliban’s main adversary. However, the report identified TTP as the most serious regional threat, stating that the group is carrying out cross-border operations from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.

The report further revealed divisions within the Taliban leadership over the issue. Some senior Taliban figures reportedly view TTP as harmful to relations with Pakistan, while others continue to support the group.

According to the UN, TTP carried out more than 600 attacks inside Pakistan in 2025, many of them complex in nature. The report added that the majority of suicide bombers involved in these attacks were Afghan nationals.

The report also acknowledged that Pakistan has made significant progress in counterterrorism efforts, including the arrest of ISKP spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azzam and other key militants.