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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani law-enforcement agencies have uncovered what officials describe as a structured terrorist network operating from Afghanistan, with recent arrests exposing recruitment pipelines, cross-border training sites, and planned strikes on military and civilian targets, security sources said.&nbsp;One of the key arrests occurred in Talagang, where authorities detained a man identifying himself as Qasim, alias Hassan, a member of the Daloozi tribe from Afghanistan&rsquo;s Gardez province. According to security sources, the suspect admitted he had been recruited in 2025 by a Taliban commander named Armani at Sarha Darga.&nbsp;&ldquo;He told investigators that Commander Armani, along with a companion named Farooq, made him conduct reconnaissance of the army fort in Tajori for a suicide attack,&rdquo; security sources said. The suspect also allegedly confessed to 20 days of training in Afghanistan before being tasked with carrying out a suicide bombing.&nbsp;Security officials said the suspect claimed to have recruited five people for the network, receiving Rs10,000 ($34) per recruit, and later traveled to Punjab in September to enlist additional members before being arrested.&nbsp;The detentions come amid Pakistan&rsquo;s deadliest surge in terrorism in a decade, with violence heavily concentrated in&nbsp;Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)&nbsp;and Balochistan. &ldquo;Attack levels recorded in 2024 mirrored those of 2014,&rdquo; security sources said, citing internal assessments.&nbsp;More than 300 attacks have already struck KP in 2025, according to provincial counterterrorism data shared with investigators.&nbsp;Pakistani authorities maintain that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated outfits continue to use Afghan territory to stage operations. Security officials noted that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had previously stated that suicide bombers who targeted an Islamabad courthouse and a military cadet college in 2025 were Afghan nationals.&nbsp;Security sources added that a December 2024 attack in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a TTP-linked faction, killed 23 security personnel, prompting Islamabad to demand action from Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim authorities.&nbsp;According to the sources, internal threat assessments show a sharp rise in regional militancy since the Afghan Taliban&rsquo;s return to power in 2021. Pakistan-based research cited by investigators documented a 51% increase in attacks in the year following August 15, 2021, while the interior ministry logged a 60% nationwide rise in 2023.&nbsp;Terrorism-related fatalities in Pakistan have quadrupled since 2019, internal government data shows, rising from 365 deaths that year to at least 1,438 in 2023. Academic studies reviewed by security officials also indicate that average monthly TTP attacks tripled between 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;A 2025 assessment circulated among Pakistani security planners concluded that the TTP continues to receive &ldquo;substantial logistical and operational support&rdquo; from authorities inside Afghanistan, with analysts noting that the group has adopted a more centralized command structure and operates from cross-border sanctuaries.&nbsp;Security sources said the latest arrests offer the &ldquo;clearest evidence yet&rdquo; of an organized recruitment chain linking operatives inside Pakistan to handlers and trainers based in Afghanistan.

Security

Pakistani security sources say recent arrests expose a structured Afghanistan-based network recruiting, training and deploying militants as nationwide attacks surge, with TTP-linked groups expanding operations from cross-border sanctuaries.

Pakistan traces expanding Afghan-based network behind rising attacks

ISLAMABAD: A United Nations report has revealed that multiple terrorist groups continue to operate from Afghanistan, contradicting Taliban claims to the contrary. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism. The latest talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban ended in a deadlock, as Pakistan insisted on &quot;no compromise&quot; on ending cross-border terrorism, which the latter kept denying. Pakistan has called for &quot;verifiable action&quot; against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which continues to launch attacks from Afghan soil. The United Nations has acknowledged that Afghan territory is being used by several terror outfits. A Security Council report from June 2025 highlighted that over two dozen terrorist groups operate in Afghanistan. The report warned that these groups posed a &quot;serious challenge&quot; to the stability of Afghanistan and the security of neighboring countries, including those in Central Asia. Taliban regime&rsquo;s support for TTP A subsequent UNSC report from July 24, 2025, further noted that Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban regime continued to maintain a &ldquo;permissive environment&rdquo; for various terrorist groups. The report confirmed that the TTP, estimated to have around 6,000 fighters, receives &quot;substantial logistical and operational support&quot; from the Taliban regime. Some within the Taliban reportedly advocate distancing themselves from the TTP to improve relations with neighboring states, though such calls have not led to any significant policy changes. TTP&rsquo;s cooperation with other militants to target Pakistan The TTP has coordinated with other militant groups to destabilize Pakistan. In January 2025, the TTP provided training to terrorists in Balochistan. The UNSC report details evidence of &quot;close coordination&quot; between the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in southern Afghanistan. Both groups are said to have shared training camps, with al-Qaeda providing &quot;ideological and weapons training.&quot; An attack by the BLA, the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train on March 11, resulted in over 30 deaths, demonstrating the group&#39;s increasing capacity for complex, deadly operations. While some experts believe the TTP and BLA do not cooperate at a &quot;strategic level,&quot; there may be a &quot;non-aggression pact&quot; between the two. Concerns over TTP&rsquo;s acquisition of high-grade weapons The acquisition of high-grade weaponry by the TTP, including NATO-standard arms, is particularly concerning. The UNSC noted that these weapons were obtained through &quot;cross-border smuggling and black-market trade,&quot; corroborating Pakistan&#39;s concerns. The TTP has also employed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to carry out attacks on Pakistani military installations in Balochistan and Punjab, the reported stated. ISIL-K and al-Qaeda&#39;s growing presence The terrorist landscape extends beyond the TTP. According to the UNSC report, ISIL-K has been indoctrinating children in madrassas in northern Afghanistan, establishing a suicide training program for minors as young as 14. The group has spread across the northern and northeastern provinces of Afghanistan, with attempts to establish operations in neighboring states. al-Qaeda also maintains a strong presence in Afghanistan. The UNSC report raised concerns about al-Qaeda in South Asia, noting the group has expanded to six provinces, including Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Uruzgan, and Zabul. The terror outfit operates several training sites across Afghanistan, even training TTP fighters. Threat to China The UNSC&#39;s July 2025 report further details how Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban regime has allowed groups like the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM/TIP) to operate within its borders. ETIM/TIP has reportedly grown to a force of up to 750 militants, with some regional states assessing its strength to be growing. In December 2024, ETIM/TIP leaders met with Taliban representatives in Kabul, discussing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters from Afghanistan. This cooperation signals the Taliban&#39;s ongoing support for foreign militant groups. Threats for entire region As long as the Afghan Taliban regime continues to permit the use of its soil by terrorist groups, the security of neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Iran, and even China, remains at risk.

Afghanistan

A UN report revealed multiple terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, with Taliban support for TTP and al-Qaeda, posing a growing threat to regional security, including China and Pakistan.

UN report: Terrorist groups operate from Afghan soil

Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: Security concerns have once again overshadowed trade at the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border, where hundreds of trucks carrying Afghan produce remain stranded at the Torkham crossing amid escalating tensions between the two neighbors.&nbsp;The closure followed a series of cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan after, according to Pakistani military officials, Taliban fighters and affiliated militants attempted to infiltrate across the frontier. Relations between the two neighbors have since remained strained, with trade through key crossings suspended. A ceasefire between the two sides was finalized in Doha on October 19, with the next round of talks scheduled to take place in Istanbul.&nbsp;Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to take &ldquo;credible and effective action&rdquo; against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and similar groups launching attacks from across the border. But officials say those requests have gone unanswered, forcing Islamabad to prioritize national security over trade.&nbsp;Officials have stated that Pakistan&rsquo;s security concerns take precedence over trade, emphasizing that cross-border commerce can only resume once the frontier is secure and free from militant activity.&nbsp;Afghan exports rot as border stays shutFor weeks, hundreds of trucks laden with fresh Afghan produce, tomatoes, onions, grapes, and pomegranates, have been stranded at Torkham. With no access to Pakistani markets, the goods are spoiling in the heat, costing Afghan traders millions of dollars in losses.&nbsp;&ldquo;This has been happening for years, but this time it&rsquo;s worse,&rdquo; said Soleiman Safi, an Afghan fruit wholesaler based in Peshawar.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our fresh produce is rotting before it reaches the market. I&rsquo;m now thinking of switching to importing coal. It doesn&rsquo;t spoil.&rdquo;&nbsp;While Pakistan also faces trade losses, its diversified economy can absorb the shock. Afghanistan, however, remains critically dependent on cross-border commerce.&nbsp;Economic fallout hits Afghanistan hardAccording to the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Afghanistan consumes about 6.8 million metric tons of wheat annually but produces only 4.8 million, importing the rest, mostly from Pakistan.&nbsp;Similarly, the country&rsquo;s sole sugar mill in Baghlan province, which restarted operations in early 2025 after decades of closure, can meet only a fraction of domestic demand. The majority of sugar imports also come from Pakistan.&nbsp;Without this trade, Afghan consumers face rising food prices and shortages of essentials such as wheat flour, rice, cooking oil, and processed foods.&nbsp;Business leaders call for swift resolutionJunaid Altaf, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the closure is causing severe financial losses.&nbsp;&ldquo;We estimate losses of nearly one billion rupees a day from the Torkham crossing alone,&rdquo; he told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;We have urged our counterparts in Afghanistan to press their government to normalize the situation so trade can resume.&rdquo;&nbsp;Limited alternatives, lingering challengesKabul has explored alternate trade routes through Iran&rsquo;s Chabahar Port and via Central Asia, but traders say these are costly and impractical substitutes for the shorter, better-developed Pakistani corridor.&nbsp;&ldquo;For time-sensitive exports like fruits and vegetables, there is no alternative to Pakistan&rsquo;s route,&rdquo; an Afghan logistics operator said.&nbsp;Officials in Pakistan Customs confirmed that &ldquo;all preparations for reopening have been completed,&rdquo; and staff are &ldquo;on standby,&rdquo; but added that the final decision depends on security clearance from higher authorities.&nbsp;As Afghanistan&rsquo;s economy continues to reel, Islamabad maintains that the solution lies not in seeking alternative trade routes but in tackling the security threats that have strained cross-border ties.&nbsp;&ldquo;A stable, terrorism-free border is the only prerequisite for trade to resume in full,&rdquo; a senior Pakistani official reiterated.

Economy

Trade between Islamabad and Kabul remains suspended as security concerns persist following cross-border clashes. Islamabad prioritizes border safety over commerce, saying trade will resume only once militant threats are contained, leaving Afghan traders facing mounting economic losses.

Trade stalls as security concerns keep Pakistan–Afghanistan border shut

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Afghan traders are feeling the pinch as key trade crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain closed for the fourth consecutive day. Afghan state-owned channel Tolo News reported growing concerns over the impact on trade and economic activities due to the border closure. The Afghan Border Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the continued closure has caused &ldquo;significant delays for traders&rdquo; and urged the Afghan government to take &ldquo;urgent steps to resolve the issue.&rdquo; Pakistan&#39;s prime minister recently remarked that the responsibility now lies with the Afghan Taliban to establish a lasting ceasefire. This statement came after a 48-hour ceasefire was declared &nbsp;on Wednesday in response to deadly clashes across the border. Several critical crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, such as Spin Boldak, have been shut down. On Wednesday, the Pakistani military&#39;s media wing, ISPR, reported that their security forces thwarted another assault by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border, resulting in the deaths of approximately 15 to 20 Taliban fighters. The ISPR stated that the &ldquo;cowardly&rdquo; strikes occurred at four different spots near Spin Boldak during the early morning hours. The Pakistani troops countered these offensives effectively, inflicting casualties and injuries on the attackers. Hostilities initially erupted on the night of October 11-12, 2025, when the Afghan Taliban, alongside an India-supported group, launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani forces along the border. Islamabad has long maintained that Kabul must halt its support for militants from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The conflict worsened late Saturday night, with 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred&nbsp;and, according to ISPR, around 200 Taliban and allied militants killed during an attack originating from the Afghan side. This marks the most intense violence since early October.

Residents ride a loaded truck of belongings, as they flee the area, following exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, at the border crossing in Chaman, Balochistan province, Pakistan, October 15, 2025. (REUTERS)

Afghan traders feel the pinch as key border crossings with Pakistan remain closed amid escalating clashes, disrupting trade for the fourth consecutive day and escalating regional tensions.

Afghan traders feel the pinch as borders with Pakistan remain closed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s prime minister said on Thursday that &quot;the ball is in the Afghan Taliban&#39;s court&quot; for a permanent ceasefire, a day after a 48-hour truce was called in the wake of deadly cross-border clashes. &quot;If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,&quot; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told his cabinet, reiterating that Pakistani Taliban militants should be eliminated and that Afghan territory not be used to plot attacks. The remarks came a day after the 48-hour ceasefire was announced, following a week of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier in which dozens of troops and civilians were killed on both sides. Pakistan is facing a resurgence of attacks against its security forces on its western border with Afghanistan, led by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates. Islamabad has condemned&nbsp;Kabul of harbouring militant groups led by the TTP on its soil, a claim Kabul denies. Tensions spiked last week when explosions struck Afghan territory, including the capital, which Taliban officials blamed on Pakistan.&nbsp;Afghan Taliban forces launched an offensive near the border in response, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong retaliation. The temporary ceasefire, which came into effect at 6 pm Islamabad time (1300 GMT) on Wednesday, was aimed at halting the bloodshed and opening a window for talks. Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory as a staging ground for cross-border attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Taliban security personnel on a Soviet-era tank are followed by motorcyclists as they ride towards the border, as clashes take place between Taliban security personnel and Pakistani border forces, in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province on Octobe

Pakistan's PM said the Afghan Taliban must ensure a permanent ceasefire after deadly border clashes; Islamabad demands TTP elimination and no Afghan soil for attacks

Articles tagged with "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)"

Pakistan traces expanding Afghan-based network behind rising attacks

UN report: Terrorist groups operate from Afghan soil

Trade stalls as security concerns keep Pakistan–Afghanistan border shut

Afghan traders feel the pinch as borders with Pakistan remain closed

Pakistan PM says 'ball in Afghan Taliban's court' for permanent ceasefire