The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a United Nations designated terrorist group, continued to receive “greater liberty and support” from Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, resulting in increased attacks against Pakistan and amplified regional tensions, according to a new U.N. report.
The UNSC Monitoring Team Report (February 2026) said regional countries remained concerned about the number of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and its spillover effects, including cross-border attacks and the radicalization of vulnerable domestic communities.
The Afghan de facto authorities claimed that there were no terrorist groups within its borders, however “no Member State supported this view”, the report said.
The report highlighted that TTP operated as one of the largest terrorist groups in Afghanistan and its attacks on Pakistani security forces and State structures led to military confrontation. Attacks were increasingly complex and, at times, involved large numbers of fighters.
“An attack on an Islamabad courthouse on 11 November resulted in 12 deaths and was claimed by a TTP splinter group: it was the first attack in the capital for several years, and a departure from previous targeting by TTP,” it said.
Some Member States, it added, expressed concern that TTP may deepen its cooperation with Al-Qaida-aligned groups in order to attack a wider range of targets, potentially resulting in an extra-regional threat.
However, TTP suffered several operational setbacks, notably the death of Mufti Muzahim in a Pakistani operation in October, the report said.
It said under the de facto authorities’ patronage, which included the issuance of identity documents, the members of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), also commonly referred to as the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), were able to move freely within Afghanistan and have gradually concentrated in Badakhshan.
“According to one Member State, they raised funds from poppy cultivation and mining. Approximately 250 members were reported to have joined Taliban police forces in 2025,” according to the report.
The UN report said the Baloch Liberation Army conducted a series of attacks against Pakistani security forces and projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“On 16 September, the Baloch Liberation Army ambushed a Pakistani military convoy patrolling the Corridor, killing 32 troops. While counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan restricted the Baloch Liberation Army’s operational space, it remained active,” it said.
The report mentioned that Al-Qaida continued to enjoy the patronage of the de facto authorities. It acted as a service provider and multiplier for other terrorist groups in Afghanistan in terms of training and advice, principally to TTP.
The Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), it added, remained active in south-eastern Afghanistan, where the Haqqani Network exerts considerable influence. Osama Mahmoud, the “emir” of AQIS, and Yahya Ghauri, his deputy, were reported to be in Kabul, with the media cell of AQIS based in Herat.
Some Member States, it said, reported that the Baloch Liberation Army collaborated with TTP and ISIL-K through shared training camps and resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some Member States assessed that there was neither an association nor growing ties between the Baloch Liberation Army and Al-Qaida or ISIL (Da’esh).
One Member State, it said, noted that ETIM/TIP in Afghanistan called upon its members in the Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring countries to move to Afghanistan in preparation for “returning to Xinjiang for jihad”.
The report said the status and strength of Al-Qaida remained unchanged from that reported in the previous report of the Monitoring Team, and its appetite for external operations undiminished.
Its focus was on “spectacular” attacks aimed at attracting notoriety and global media coverage, rather than the lower sophistication attacks favoured by ISIL (Da’esh), it said.