Taliban-run Afghanistan may become safe haven for Al Qaeda, TTP still active with 5000 fighters: UN report

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 9 : A report sent to the UN Security Council on Monday, stated that the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters in Afghanistan and also warned that a Taliban-run Afghanistan has the potential to become a "safe haven" for Al Qaeda, according to a media report.
The 29th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team deals with a wide range of terrorist groups active in South Asia and beyond and covers the events that happened between June and December 2021, according to Dawn.
Family members of TTP fighters in Afghanistan wished to resettle in Pakistan under assurances to reintegrate, said the report.
The committee monitors the activities of major militant groups like Al Qaeda, Taliban and various factions of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, which is also known as Daesh. The committee is required to ensure that UN-mandated sanctions on these groups are implemented.
The return of the Taliban in Afghanistan is described in the report as "the most significant event" in the country's recent history, which will have far-reaching implications for all.
The report includes TTP among the groups that have had close working relations with all major terrorist groups in the region, including the Taliban, Al Qaeda and IS-K, according to a Dawn.
The IS-K "controls limited territory" but has "a continuing ability to mount sophisticated attacks" across the region. Its ability to operate across borders adds to "the complexity of the security situation in Afghanistan", according to the report.