NEW YORK: The chair of the UN Security Council’s 1267 al-Qaeda sanctions committee has warned that the Afghan Taliban-backed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) poses a “serious threat,” noting the group has launched multiple major attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory.
Denmark’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Sandra Jensen Landi — serving as chair of the committee — presented a report to the Security Council stating that the proscribed TTP has carried out numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory, several of which resulted in mass casualties.
She noted that the group, comprising an estimated 6,000 fighters, poses a serious regional threat and continues to receive both logistical and significant support from the “de facto” authorities.
Landi delivered these remarks as the 15-member Council was briefed by the heads of three subsidiary bodies — covering Daesh/Al-Qaeda, UN counter-terrorism initiatives, and measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-state actors.
“The threat posed by ISIL (Daesh), Al-Qaeda, and their affiliates remains dynamic and geographically diverse, with the highest intensity observed in Africa. ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and their affiliates continue to step up their propaganda, exploiting social media platforms to glorify violence, recruit youth, and raise funds. Their continued use of cryptocurrencies poses a growing challenge to sanctions implementation,” she said.
Landi further stated that after losses in the Middle East, Daesh had “pivoted towards Africa, where affiliates such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have expanded activities and propaganda”.
“ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) is one of the most serious threats in Central and South Asia, with at least 2,000 fighters under Sanaullah Ghafari. They continue to target Shia communities, de facto Afghan authorities and foreign nationals,” she said.
The briefings highlighted that the global terrorist threat is evolving, particularly in Africa, where malign actors are increasingly leveraging emerging technologies to advance dangerous objectives.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), long weakened by Pakistani military operations, has regained strength by exploiting safe havens in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Once forced to remain on the move, TTP fighters now enjoy protection from Afghan Taliban commanders, using Afghan soil to regroup and plan cross-border attacks.
Pakistan has consistently urged the Interim Afghan Government to implement effective border management on their side and is expected to fulfil their obligations by preventing Afghan territory from being used by the TTP and stopping the involvement of Afghan citizens in acts of terrorism within Pakistan.
Commenting on the report, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Usman Jadoon, said the country has rendered invaluable sacrifices in its efforts to eradicate this menace, with over 80,000 casualties and billions of dollars in economic losses.
Al-Qaeda, he added, was decimated largely due to Pakistan’s efforts.
Statement by Ambassador Usman Jadoon,
Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan,
During the briefing by Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees of the UN Security Council
(November 19, 2025)
*******Mr. President,
I thank the representatives… pic.twitter.com/rJJopltGZT
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) November 20, 2025
“Our valiant security forces and law enforcement agencies continue to counter the terrorism threat emanating from Afghanistan, where entities like ISIL-K, TTP and its affiliates, BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) and its Majeed Brigade are thriving under the patronage of their hosts and backed by our principle adversary and net destabiliser in the region,” he said, without naming India.
Ambassador Jadoon emphasised that the 1267 Committee’s sanctions regime must “reflect ground realities” and that decisions on listings and delistings should be taken “fairly, transparently and judiciously, without political considerations.” He further stressed that, to uphold a genuine zero-tolerance approach, the UN’s counter-terrorism framework must be equipped to designate violent far-right, extreme right-wing, ultranationalist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic groups worldwide.
Separately, China’s representative called on committee members to support adding the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade to the sanctions list, saying this would “send a strong signal of zero tolerance for terrorism.”
