ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned of a growing and potentially grave threat of nuclear terrorism emerging from Afghanistan under the Taliban.
According to a UN report, the Taliban regime has sheltered international terrorist groups to sustain its rule, allowing militant networks operating from Afghan territory to pose a serious danger to global security.
The report raises particular alarm over 133 tablets of stolen uranium dioxide taken from Tajikistan, which could potentially be acquired by the banned al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan.
“I think the threat has never been so high as it is today,” according to Mauro Miedico, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT).
“Terrorist groups and individuals engage much more strongly with new technologies. Terrorist groups have recruited experts, including AI specialists, and we have seen the use of drones in terrorist acts. This potentially makes it more possible that they will launch a dirty bomb via drone.”
The report notes that al‑Qaeda has repeatedly signaled intent to conduct nuclear attacks, and that incidents of smuggling and theft of radioactive material have been recorded in several countries.
Experts cited in the report say the combination of foreign fighters, modern technology available to militant groups in Afghanistan, and the sanctuary provided by the Taliban creates a real risk of nuclear terrorism.
The findings echo warnings previously issued by the United States, Pakistan, European states and Central Asian countries, which have repeatedly described terrorism emanating from Afghanistan as a major security threat.
The UN has called for strengthened international cooperation, improved controls on nuclear and radiological materials across the region, and enhanced monitoring and interdiction efforts to prevent dangerous materials from reaching extremist hands.
