Taliban Rejects UNSC Report Claiming Close Links to Al-Qaeda, TTP

The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have rejected a UN Security Council report which has alleged that the interim Afghan authorities have continued to maintain close links to banned terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda** and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)***.

The report by UNSC's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, dated 30 January, has claimed that the “relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remains close” and that Al-Qaeda maintained a “holding pattern” in Afghanistan under the “Taliban patronage”.

Based on inputs supplied by member states, the UNSC report stated that Al-Qaeda established up to eight new training camps in Afghanistan, including four in Ghazni, Laghman, Parwan and Uruzgan Provinces.

With regards to the TTP, the UNSC said that the Taliban remained “sympathetic” to the Pakistan-focused terror group’s aims.

“Besides supplying weapons and equipment, Taliban rank and file, Al-Qaida core and AQIS fighters assisted TTP forces in cross-border attacks. Despite Taliban instructing TTP fighters not to participate in operations outside Afghanistan, many had done so with no apparent consequence,” it said.

The report claimed that a new TTP base was established in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in mid-2023, with around 66 TTP recruits trained as suicide bombers in the camp.

It further cautioned that Daesh**** continued to pose a “major threat in Afghanistan” and the region despite the Taliban’s claims of having defeated the group.

Taliban Alleges US’ Role in Spreading False Allegations

The Taliban said in a statement it strongly rejected the "false allegations" in the UNSC report.

"Unfortunately, a regular program of accusing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has started from the address of the United Nations, which is always spreading propaganda. This is a misuse from the address of the United Nations, which unfortunately member states allow it to be continued," the Taliban authorities said.

Mujahid claimed that there was no Al-Qaeda present in Afghanistan and the Taliban didnt't permit any other terrorist group to set-up a base on Afghan soil.

"Unfortunately, the reports of the Security Council originate from the sources who stood by the occupation for their own interests for the past 20 years and are hostile to the freedom, development and security of Afghanistan," the Afghan spokesperson said, as it urged the UN Security Council to remain "neutral".

*under UN sanctions

**banned terrorist group

***banned terrorist group

****banned terrorist group

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14 December 2022, 18:19