The Afghan Taliban’s continued support for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has contributed to an increase in the frequency and lethality of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, according to a United Nations Security Council-mandated monitoring report.
The 38th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team covered the period from December 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026. It highlighted growing operational and facilitation links among the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
The report said cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated following a high number of TTP attacks inside Pakistan. It maintained that Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities continued to support the TTP, whose activities contributed to military exchanges between the two neighbouring countries.
Taliban Takes Steps to Manage TTP Threat
Despite its assessment of continued Taliban support, the UN report noted that Afghan authorities had taken initial measures to limit TTP activities.
According to the report, around 2,000 TTP fighters and their families were relocated from areas near the Pakistan border to deeper inside Afghanistan. Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also reportedly warned the TTP leadership through backchannel contacts to stop attacks against Pakistan or risk losing Taliban support.
However, the measures appeared focused on managing the TTP rather than dismantling its organisational infrastructure. Pakistan’s concerns are expected to persist as long as the group’s command, training and logistical networks remain operational.
The TTP has also expanded its organisational structure. Following its annual rahbari shura in December, the group announced new divisions covering Balochistan and the central region, as well as Kashmir and Gilgit. It also announced a new unit described as the “TTP Air Force.”
In March, the group launched its spring campaign, Operation Khyber, calling for increased attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians.
UN Report Highlights Expanding Militant Networks
The UN assessment also raised concerns about increasing cooperation among militant organisations operating in and from Afghanistan. Al Qaeda’s media arm, As-Sahab, issued a statement in April supporting the Taliban and directly backing TTP operations against Pakistan.
The report further noted allegations that BLA fighters received training alongside TTP members from Al Qaeda trainers in Afghanistan. It also pointed to the continued presence of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leadership in Kabul.
Meanwhile, ISIL-K remains a major regional security threat despite suffering setbacks from counterterrorism operations. The group has reportedly shifted parts of its operational infrastructure towards northern Afghanistan while maintaining dispersed training and support networks across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
The report presents a picture of an increasingly interconnected militant ecosystem, in which training, facilitation and logistical networks overlap across different organisations, posing continued security challenges for Pakistan and the wider region.
