UN releases report on security situation in Afghanistan

By Zeynep Katre Oran

ANKARA (AA) – The UN Security Council's (UNSC) Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team evaluated the security situation in Afghanistan in its 16th report, saying the ISIS-K threat persists in Afghanistan despite improved security.

The report stated that although there is a measure of internal peace and security, as well as domestic stability, all of which benefit some parts of society more than others, there are serious threats within Afghanistan.

It noted that while the Afghan administration has “suppressed, although not eliminated” the threat from ISIS/Daesh-Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K or ISIL-KP in Afghanistan, the group continues to “pose serious threats within Afghanistan, regionally and beyond.”

The report said that the “Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has conducted numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil,” leading to tensions along the border, loss of life, and disruptions to trade.

“The de facto authorities continue to maintain that no terrorist groups operate in, or from, its territory. Such claims are not credible,” the report also said.

Emphasizing that a strong central rule has allowed the de facto authorities to make progress in a number of areas, the report cited one of the most notable developments: a decline of more than 95% in poppy cultivation in 2025 compared to “its peak under the Taliban in 2022.”

“The economy appears relatively resilient, but weak,” the report said.

It further noted that while “there are ambitious plans for infrastructure development,” the de facto authorities face a number of challenges, including “in relation to responding to forced returns of Afghan citizens from neighboring countries and to recent natural disasters.”