Terrorism Emanating From Afghanistan by Hassan Ahmad

[faheemustad]

Terrorism Emanating From Afghanistan by Hassan Ahmad

The presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan is transforming into a wider regional security threat with every passing day.

Keen observers concerned about the surging wave of terrorism in the South Asian region cannot ignore the eye-opening facts pointed out in the recently released 35th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of UNSC.

Paras 82 to 97 of the report have thoroughly summarized the terror threats prevailing in Central & South Asian regions. Alarmingly, Afghanistan figures out significantly as the epicentre of terrorism in this report. According to Para 82 of the report, more than two dozen terrorist groups are actively operating in Afghanistan.


Such a huge presence of terrorist outfits and unchecked operations pose multiple security challenges to the peace and stability of the entire region. Besides endangering the stability of neighbouring states, multiple brands of extremist groups are also involved in spoiling the already fragile peace of terror-ridden Afghanistan.

Facts mentioned in the report have endorsed the stance of Pakistan regarding the mega security crisis brewing in Afghanistan with meaningfully ineffective response of the interim Afghan government against the outfits involved in cross-border terrorism.

The unjustified alignment of certain quarters of interim Afghan Taliban with hardcore terrorist groups is not only endangering the regional states but also destabilizing Afghanistan as well. This is quite alarming that halfhearted measures taken by the Afghan Taliban are proving extremely ineffective so far.


ISKP is considered to be the most potent terrorist group, passing multiple security threats to the Taliban regime.

ISKP is considered to be the most potent terrorist group, passing multiple security threats to the Taliban regime. According to the UNSC report, the terror reach of ISKP is long enough to target ethnic communities, religious minorities, and foreign nationals including representatives of UNO and various international organizations.

Threats posed by ISKP to the unelected Taliban regime should not be viewed in isolation from the prevailing complex internal matrix of Afghanistan. Though, the Afghan Taliban easily took over the throne of Kabul amid the quick meltdown of the Ashraf Ghani regime, however, threats posed by the Northern Resistance Front and rival terrorist groups like ISKP are serious enough to keep the interim ruling setup on their toes.

The security matrix is rapidly becoming more complicated with the Afghan Taliban’s unwise accommodative ties with anti-Pakistan terrorist outfits. Banned TTP, BLA including Majeed Brigade and various splinter outfits of these hardcore organizations have been repeatedly pointed out in UNSC reports for their involvement in cross-border terrorism in Pakistan from Afghanistan.

Ties between the Afghan Taliban and banned TTP are drastically abnormal and deserve to be graded as venomous anti-Pakistan nexus. Para 93 of the report describes “The status and strength of TTP in Afghanistan had not changed. The ambition and scale of its attacks on Pakistan, though, had significantly increased, with over 600 attacks during the reporting period, including from Afghan territory.

The Taliban continued to provide TTP with logistical and operational space and financial support, with one-member state noting that the family of Noor Wali Mehsud received a monthly payment of 3 Million Afghanis (roughly $43000). TTP established new training centers in Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost, Paktia (Barmal) provinces while enhancing recruitment within TTP cadre, including from the Afghan Taliban”.

This is an undeniable reality now that the present ruling regime in Kabul prefers hardcore terrorist groups over regional security, internal stability of Afghanistan and peaceful coexistence with neighbour countries. UNSC’s report has recorded solid evidence; endorsing the stance of Pakistan regarding the terrorism threat emanating from Afghanistan.

Unassailable questions are being raised by international watchdogs about the malicious support of the interim Afghan government to Al-Qaeda and meaningful chronic failure in countering the anti-Pakistan terrorist outfits like ISIS, TTP, BLA and JuA.

Terrorism oozing out from Afghan soil is taking the Central and South Asian regions in its loop. Persistent denial of linkage with banned TTP sounds hollow on the art of Afghan Taliban amid the provision of boarding, lodging, training and operational facilities to the masterminds of cross-border terrorist attacks.

The provision of regular financial aid to notorious terrorists like Noor Wali Mehsud speaks volumes about the level of bilateral trust between the banned TTP and the Taliban regime. While exposing the active presence of terrorist networks on Afghan soil, the UNSC report has acknowledged the resilient successful efforts of Pakistan in curtailing the border infiltration attempts made from Afghanistan by the terrorists affiliated with ISKP and TTP.

This fact needs no further elaboration that Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism originating from Afghanistan. Genuine security concerns of Pakistan merit an appropriate response from Kabul as well as regional and international stakeholders. Accumulative negative impacts of the Taliban’s nexus with anti-Pakistan terrorist groups and lukewarm ineffective steps against global terrorist groups like ISKP would eventually destabilize the entire region.

source : https://dailytimes.com.pk/1269061/terro ... ghanistan/