KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The UN Security Council (UNSC) has voiced concern over the increasing presence and operational capabilities of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, particularly ISIS and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
During a meeting on Afghanistan on Monday, representatives from several countries, including the United States and Pakistan, warned that militant groups operating in the country continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
Dorothy Shea, the US representative to the UN, said her country remains deeply concerned about the “transnational threat posed by ISKP”—the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan. Shea stressed the need for the Taliban to meet their counterterrorism commitments.
“The security threat emanating from Afghanistan is a continuing driver of regional instability,” Shea said. “The Taliban must ensure Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven for terrorist groups to threaten the security of the United States, our allies, or any country.”
The U.S. diplomat dismissed the possibility of normalizing relations with the Taliban, citing ongoing security threats, human rights violations, and the detention of American citizens. She called for sustained international pressure to hold the Taliban accountable.
“The United States is skeptical of the Taliban’s willingness to engage in good faith in the Doha process,” Shea said. “We cannot build confidence with a group that unjustly detains Americans, has a long history of harboring terrorist groups on its soil, and ignores the basic rights and needs of its own people.”
Pakistan’s envoy, Munir Akram, pointed to the presence of over 20 terrorist groups in Afghanistan, describing it as the “greatest threat” to regional and global security. He accused the Taliban of complicity in cross-border attacks carried out by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Pakistan.
“We have evidence that the Kabul authorities have not only tolerated but are complicit in the conduct of the TTP’s terrorist cross-border attacks,” Akram said.
The Pakistani diplomat also criticized the Taliban’s counterterrorism efforts as “ineffective,” citing ISKP-linked attacks in Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and recently in Pakistan.
Russia’s representative, Vasily Nebenzya, shared similar concerns, warning that ISKP is actively recruiting new fighters in Afghanistan. He also raised concern over the potential misuse of abandoned U.S. military equipment left behind, suggesting it could fall into the hands of terrorist groups, further exacerbating instability in the region.
Meanwhile, China’s representative called for continued engagement with the Taliban, urging the group to address international concerns over terrorism and women’s rights more seriously.
