The Taliban-led regime in Afghanistan continues to provide a “permissive environment” for terrorist groups including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, and Baloch terrorist organizations, posing a significant threat to regional stability, according to a newly released UN report.
The thirty-sixth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, submitted to the UN Security Council Committee earlier this week, assesses global terrorism threats for the period January to June 2025. It paints a grim picture of deteriorating security in Central and South Asia, with particular alarm raised over the Taliban’s apparent tolerance and support for cross-border terrorist operations.
The report states that TTP maintains approximately 6,000 fighters and continues to receive “substantial logistical and operational support” from Afghanistan’s de facto authorities. Despite internal debates within the Taliban about distancing itself from the group to improve regional relations, TTP’s operational capacity remains “robust.”
the TTP is said to have tactical-level ties with Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) and Al-Qaeda, enabling high-profile and mass-casualty attacks in the region. The group is also accused of acquiring NATO-standard weapons and conducting asymmetric drone attacks on military installations in Pakistan’s Sibi (Balochistan).
“TTP and BLA share four training camps in southern Afghanistan — with Al-Qaeda providing ideological and weapons training.”
— UN Security Council Monitoring Team Report, 2025
In a particularly troubling revelation, the report notes that TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) UN designated terrorist organization – including its Majeed Brigade – have established close coordination in parts of southern Afghanistan, with shared training camps in Walikot and Shorabak. These camps, according to one Member State, are supported by Al-Qaeda, which provides ideological and weapons training.
Highlighting the increasing operational sophistication of BLA, the report cites a high-profile hijacking carried out on March 11, when BLA militants targeted the Jaffar Express in a remote mountainous region. Armed with improvised explosive devices and automatic weapons, the attackers killed 31 people, including 21 hostages, in what the UN described as a demonstration of the group’s brutality. The attack, like many others by BLA, was described as indiscriminate.
The report further underlines that Al-Qaeda fighters, mostly of Arab origin, remain active across six Afghan provinces, operating training sites that serve both Al-Qaeda and TTP militants. This network, the report warns, continues to pose a serious threat to Central Asian and regional states.
Despite repeated international concerns, the Taliban regime has not dismantled this ecosystem of extremist militancy. “The de facto authorities in Afghanistan continued to maintain a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups,” the report emphasizes.
The findings come amid renewed regional pressure on the Taliban to fulfill its international commitments to prevent Afghan soil from being used for terrorism. However, the report suggests that terrorist groups in Afghanistan remain emboldened and increasingly coordinated, with implications for security across the broader region.
