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ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), operating from Afghan territory, could evolve into an extra-regional threat if it deepens cooperation with Al Qaeda-aligned groups, the United Nations Security Council&rsquo;s latest monitoring report has warned.&nbsp;In its 37th report, covering July to December 2025, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said some member states expressed concern that the TTP may expand its targeting ambitions beyond Pakistan, particularly if collaboration with transnational jihadist networks intensifies.&nbsp;The report states that Afghanistan&rsquo;s de facto authorities continue to provide a &ldquo;permissive environment&rdquo; for terrorist groups. While several violent factions remain active, the Monitoring Team noted that the TTP enjoys greater operational latitude and support compared with others &mdash; a dynamic linked to a marked surge in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/four-facilitators-of-islamabad-mosque-attacker-afghan-mastermind-arrested-security-sources" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">attacks against Pakistan</a>.&nbsp;&ldquo;De facto authorities continued to provide a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups, notably Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,&rdquo; the report states, endorsing Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing complaints that terrorists are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-uncovers-afghanistanbased-terror-network-as-attacks-mount" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">using Afghan territory as a safe haven</a>.&nbsp;Surge in cross-border violence and operational reachThe United Nations assessment underscores that TTP has grown into one of the largest terrorist groups operating out of Afghanistan, developing deep roots across several eastern and southeastern provinces.&nbsp;The group has been linked to many attacks, particularly in the latter half of 2025, contributing to heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier.&nbsp;The Monitoring Team also documented expanded capabilities, citing access to modern weapons, training infrastructure, and logistical backing that have boosted the group&rsquo;s lethality.&nbsp;These include advanced small arms, night-vision equipment and even drone systems &mdash; often facilitated through systems of movement passes and permits allegedly issued by Afghan authorities.&nbsp;Al Qaeda ties and wider threat concernsBeyond its cross-border campaign, the TTP&rsquo;s relationship with Al Qaeda remains a central concern. Member states cited in the report warned that the group&rsquo;s operational cooperation with Al Qaeda-aligned networks could broaden its target set and potentially make it an extra-regional threat beyond South Asia.&nbsp;The report further highlights that Al Qaeda continues to act as a &ldquo;service provider&rdquo; for other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, offering training and strategic support, particularly to the TTP, fueling fears of a widening nexus of extremist collaboration.&nbsp;Taliban denials and international frictionThe findings starkly contradict repeated Taliban assurances that no terrorist groups operate within Afghan borders, with the report noting that no UN member state endorsed this claim. The persistent sanctuary for the TTP and other terrorist groups is now recognized as a credible and <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ttp-are-our-enenmy-we-will-eliminate-them-information-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">documented threat</a>, complicating Kabul&rsquo;s diplomatic positioning and fueling mistrust with neighboring capitals.&nbsp;Implications for regional securityWhile the Monitoring Team stopped short of declaring that TTP has carried out attacks outside the region, the trendlines suggest a dangerous evolution. Member states expressed particular worry that deeper TTP-Al Qaeda links could enable the group to strike beyond Pakistan, potentially drawing in targets across Central and South Asia or further afield.&nbsp;The report&rsquo;s publication comes amid ongoing violence in Pakistan, including high-profile attacks on civil and security targets, reinforcing the urgent need for coordinated regional counter-terrorism action and renewed international engagement on Afghanistan&rsquo;s terrorist landscape.

Afghanistan

The 37th periodic report from the UNSC's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, covering July-December 2025, paints a stark picture of a terrorist landscape that increasingly threatens regional security.

TTP on Afghan soil poses 'extraregional threat,' says UN

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that the region&rsquo;s development challenges, including poverty, inequality and low intra-regional trade, necessitate a revival of regional platforms such as SAARC. &quot;Stronger regional cooperation is needed to address mounting security and climate challenges&quot;, addressing the Islamabad Conclave 2025, organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). South Asia must move towards dialogue and collective action to ensure long-term stability.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan believed regional peace was achievable only through engagement, confidence-building measures and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.&nbsp;Dar said global tensions, from Europe to the Middle East, had heightened uncertainty and placed multilateral institutions under stress. He said unilateral actions by some states had weakened global consensus. &ldquo;Multilateralism is under assault,&rdquo; he cautioned, urging countries to restore trust in diplomacy and international norms.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1996147922715734324&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=b138e5f2f4f9e81a3efd2a3c50b0a3b14f38c255&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Recalling the brief but serious military confrontation between Pakistan and India earlier this year, Dar said the incident underscored the urgency of reducing regional risks. He said the episode carried &ldquo;the potential to escalate far beyond its duration,&rdquo; and highlighted the need for crisis-management mechanisms and sustained communication.&nbsp;The foreign minister said South Asia&rsquo;s security environment remained sensitive due to the presence of three nuclear-armed neighbors, continued arms buildup and the introduction of advanced weapons systems. Long-standing disputes, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir issue, continued to pose challenges to peace, he added.&nbsp;Dar said Pakistan remained committed to a cooperative regional framework that rejected bloc politics and zero-sum approaches. He said Pakistan&rsquo;s upcoming term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council would be used to advance dialogue, conflict prevention and equitable development.&nbsp;The foreign minister also highlighted the growing impact of climate change, noting that rising temperatures, floods, droughts and glacial melt were directly affecting South Asia&rsquo;s food and water security. He called for deeper regional investment in renewable energy, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan envisions a South Asia where connectivity replaces confrontation, and cooperation drives prosperity,&rdquo; he said, adding that Pakistan stood ready to work with all regional partners to build a stable and secure future for the people of South Asia.

Security

Dar says Pakistan believes regional peace is achievable only through engagement, confidence-building and a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means.

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

QUETTA: A Pakistani security raid on a terrorist hideout in southwestern Balochistan province this week left seven insurgents dead, the military said Friday. The raid on Wednesday in the remote Sherani district came just a day after a powerful car bomb outside the headquarters of Pakistan&#39;s paramilitary security forces in Quetta, the Balochistan capital, killed at least 10 people and wounded 30. The military said troops engaged in a shootout with the militants and later recovered weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the site. The statement said the killed men were from &ldquo;Fitna Al-Khawarij,&rdquo; a phrase the government uses for the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, and other fighter groups. The military claimed the slain militants had backing from India.&nbsp; Pakistani authorities have long accused New Delhi of supporting separatists in Balochistan as well as Pakistani Taliban fighters &mdash; allegations that India denies. For years, Balochistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by terrorists groups, along with attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, both proscribed organizations by the Pakistan government. Pakistan&#39;s security forces have also been carrying out intelligence-based operations in other flashpoint locations across the country, especially the northwest and elsewhere.&nbsp;On Thursday night, a roadside bomb struck a police vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar, wounding eight people, including four officers, police said. Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

Raid comes a day after a car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of paramilitary security forces in Quetta, killing at least 10 people, wounding 30.



Pakistani raid on a militant hideout in Balochistan killed 7 insurgents, military says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Mohammad Sadiq met on Monday his&nbsp;Iranian counterpart, Reza Bahrami, in Tehran, discussing regional security and terrorist threats while underscoring the need for a coordinated strategy.&nbsp;Pakistani envoy is on an official visit to Iran, where he will meet senior officials with a focus on security in Afghanistan and ways to expand ties between Islamabad and Tehran.&nbsp;During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on Afghanistan&rsquo;s humanitarian situation, as well as its political, economic, and trade future, Sadiq said in a post on social media platform X.&nbsp;&ldquo;We discussed regional security and terrorist threats, underscoring the need for a coordinated strategy,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;The meeting also included discussions on initiatives aimed at promoting peace, stability, and development in Afghanistan through joint efforts.&nbsp;Earlier last week, Sadiq met Denmark&rsquo;s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mette Knudsen, and Chief Advisor in the Humanitarian Department, Andreas Ahrenfeldt Kiaby, where they discussed regional developments with a focus on Afghanistan, including security dynamics, humanitarian assistance, and prospects for enhanced cooperation.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Special Envoy Mohammad Sadiq met Iran’s Reza Bahrami in Tehran, discussing regional security, terrorism threats, and Afghanistan’s humanitarian, political, and economic future, while stressing the need for a coordinated strategy and stronger bilateral cooperation.

Articles tagged with "regional security"

TTP on Afghan soil poses 'extraregional threat,' says UN

Dar calls for reviving SAARC to tackle South Asia’s development, security challenges

Pakistani raid on a militant hideout in Balochistan killed 7 insurgents, military says

Pakistan, Iran discuss regional security and expanding ties