KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his new report, recorded 2,658 safety and security incidents across Afghanistan between May 1 and July 31, 2025, marking a 9% increase compared to the same period last year.
In his quarterly report, released and presented to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Guterres identified attacks by ISIS-Khorasan (ISKP), armed opposition groups, and cross-border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani forces as major contributors to the rise in security incidents.
The UN chief noted that armed anti-Taliban groups, including the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) and the National Resistance Front (NRF), remain active but posed limited challenges to the Taliban. These groups claimed responsibility for 47 attacks during the reporting period, 19 of which were verified.
According to the report, while ISKP carried out fewer attacks than in previous years, it remains active, targeting both religious minorities and Taliban forces. Taliban operations against ISKP in Kabul, Kunar, and Nangarhar killed several ISKP members in June and July.
The report highlights several deadly attacks. On May 26, a Salafi religious scholar and his bodyguard were killed in Badakhshan province in an ISKP-linked attack. On June 14, a Shia scholar in Nusay district, Badakhshan, was beheaded, with an ISIS flag left at the scene. ISKP also targeted Taliban forces in Dara Noor, Nangarhar, on June 15, and clashes were reported in Alingar district, Laghman, on July 8.
Cross-border violence with Pakistan also persisted. The UN recorded 14 incidents of armed clashes and shelling between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards in Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Paktia provinces. Pakistan claimed several attacks, targeting Pakistani Taliban (TTP) hideouts and killing multiple fighters.
The report noted 57 safety and security incidents directly affecting UN personnel, including death threats against dozens of female national staff in May. The Taliban informed UNAMA that their forces were not responsible, but the perpetrators remain unidentified.
The UN chief warned that unexploded ordnance continues to claim civilian lives across Afghanistan, killing eight people—two men, three girls, and three boys—and wounding 45 others during the reporting period.
On women’s rights, Guterres said the Taliban have intensified enforcement of morality laws, requiring women and girls to follow a strict dress code, including wearing a chador. Non-compliance has resulted in detention and restricted access to markets and public transport. The report notes that at least 60 women and girls were detained in Kabul in July for allegedly violating hijab rules.
