KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reported that 2,299 security and safety incidents were recorded across Afghanistan between February 1 and April 30, 2025.
According to his latest report, released Thursday, this marks a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. It also documents a 7% rise in theft, with 175 cases registered during the reporting period.
Guterres highlighted that ISIS attacks in Afghanistan have persisted. One such attack targeted the Taliban’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, killing three people and injuring ten others, including a deputy minister. Another attack on February 11 in Kunduz left at least 19 people dead, including four civilians and 15 Taliban members.
While Taliban opponents did not gain control of any territory, they continued carrying out attacks. The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan claimed responsibility for 56 attacks, the Afghanistan Freedom Front for 16, and the Afghanistan Liberation Movement for three. No group has claimed 11 other incidents.
The Secretary-General also noted continued border tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, including the closure of key crossings. He reported that on April 22, 18, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters were killed while attempting to cross from Barmal district in Paktika into Pakistan. Five days later, on April 27, Pakistan’s military said it had killed 54 militants trying to infiltrate from Afghanistan.
The UN recorded 22 safety and security incidents affecting its own personnel during this period. The report warns that unexploded ordnance remains a major threat, particularly to children. During the reporting period, 16 civilians were killed and 35 were injured due to such explosives.
Guterres said that leftover explosives from previous conflicts and grenade attacks by ISIS and anti-Taliban groups continue to cause civilian casualties. At least seven civilians—six men and one woman—were killed, and 39 others—38 men and a boy—were wounded during the three months.
Cross-border violence also claimed civilian lives. On February 1, an airstrike hit a mosque in Paktika, killing three men. On March 5, three male journalists were injured by gunfire from Pakistani forces in Nangarhar. On March 28, a Pakistani airstrike on a home in Paktika killed at least seven civilians, including four girls and three boys.
