A new United Nations sanctions monitoring report says the Taliban are supporting the activities of militant groups, including al-Qaida, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, inside Afghanistan.
The six-month report by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team to the Security Council says al-Qaida continues to enjoy Taliban backing and acts as a provider of training and advice in Afghanistan, particularly for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to the report, al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent is active in south-eastern Afghanistan, while its leader, Osama Mehmood, and his deputy, Atif Yahya Ghouri, are present in Kabul. The group’s media team is reported to operate in Herat.
The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information on Mehmood and $5 million for information on Ghouri.
The report also says TTP has enjoyed greater freedom of movement and support from the Taliban in Afghanistan, an approach that has led to an increase in the group’s attacks against Pakistan. It describes TTP as one of the largest militant organisations operating in Afghanistan, saying its assaults on Pakistani security forces and state institutions have amounted to a military confrontation.
The report states that members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement have received identity documents from the Taliban, allowing them freedom of movement inside Afghanistan, and are financed through poppy cultivation and mining in Badakhshan.
The United Nations said around 250 members of the group joined Taliban police units in 2025.
Citing a UN member state, the report adds that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement has asked its fighters in Syria and neighbouring countries to relocate to Afghanistan in preparation for what it described as a return to Xinjiang for jihad.
According to the report, Islamic State Khorasan remains active, with a primary focus on northern Afghanistan, particularly Badakhshan and areas near the Pakistani border, while also seeking alliances with other armed groups beyond the region.
The report emphasises that countries in the region remain concerned about the number of militant groups in Afghanistan and the consequences of their presence.
