UN Report: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Grows Stronger in Afghanistan with Taliban and Al Qaeda Support

A recent United Nations report has highlighted that the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is now the largest terrorist group in Afghanistan. The TTP enjoys operational and logistical support from both the Afghan Taliban and factions of the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

The 15th report of the ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda/Taliban Monitoring Team was submitted to the UN Security Council. The report states, “The Taliban do not conceive of TTP as a terrorist group: the bonds are close, and the debt owed to TTP significant.”

The report estimates that TTP has around 6000-6500 fighters, making it the largest among the two dozen or so groups that operate freely under the Taliban regime. This supports Islamabad’s stance that Kabul is unwilling to act against Pakistan-facing terrorist groups, a concern reiterated by officials such as Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The report also notes that TTP continues to operate significantly in Afghanistan and conducts terrorist operations into Pakistan, often using Afghan nationals. The number of TTP attacks against Pakistan has increased from 573 in 2021 to 715 in 2022 and 1210 in 2023, with the trend continuing into 2024.

Additionally, the report mentions the involvement of Afghan nationals in recent terrorist attacks, including the Bisham bombing, which claimed the lives of five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver. The UN report also highlights that NATO-calibre weapons, especially night vision capabilities, have been provided to TTP since the Taliban takeover, increasing the lethality of their attacks on Pakistani border posts.