Continued support from Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has contributed to a rise in the frequency and lethality of attacks in Pakistan, while links among militant groups are becoming increasingly pronounced, a United Nations Security Council-mandated report has found.
The 38th report of the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, covering December 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026, said that cross-border attacks had escalated following a high number of TTP attacks on Pakistan.
The report stated that the Taliban had nevertheless taken some initial measures against the group, including relocating about 2,000 TTP fighters and their families from areas near the Pakistani border to locations deeper inside Afghanistan.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also warned TTP leaders through backchannel communications to stop attacks on Pakistan or risk losing Taliban support, according to the assessment.
The measures, however, have not amounted to a break in relations. The report confirmed that the Taliban “continued their support” for the TTP, which had intensified attacks and contributed to military exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The TTP also expanded its organisational structure after a leadership meeting in December last year, announcing new divisions covering Balochistan and the central region, as well as Kashmir and Gilgit. It also announced a unit described as the “TTP Air Force”.
In March, the group announced “Operation Khyber”, a campaign calling for increased attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
The report pointed out that a February 16 attack in Bajaur killed 11 security personnel and a child and was claimed by the TTP, which was reportedly operating from Afghanistan.
The assessment also identified closer links between the TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
It said that Al Qaeda publicly backed the TTP’s operations against Pakistan on April 28, while one member state reported that BLA militants had trained alongside TTP fighters under Al Qaeda trainers in Afghanistan.
ISIL-K, which the report described as the greatest threat to the Taliban authorities and the region, was rebuilding its networks after losing ground. Its attacks had declined in Afghanistan but increased in Pakistan, while it retained training and operational networks across the region.
The report said ISIL-K and the BLA also shared facilitation networks for logistics, highlighting an increasingly interconnected militant landscape affecting Pakistan and the wider region.
