UN report claims 6,500 Pakistanis among foreign terrorists in Afghanistan

There are 6,500 Pakistanis among other foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan allied to groups like Taliban, Al-Qaida, and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K), a United Nations report has said.

A report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which was submitted to the UN Security Council (UNSC), says among those groups posing a security threat, Afghan officials highlighted Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba groups on which the Team has written in previous reports.

"The presence of these groups is centred in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan, where they operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Taliban," says the report. TTP, JeM and LeT are all designated terror groups in India and the latter two have been involved in cross-border attacks on civilians as well as military targets.

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No spring offensive

The report has observed that the Afghan Taliban have issued no announcement of a spring offensive for 2020 yet, possibly indicating that the group wishes to display some moderation in the face of international and national pressure to reach a peace agreement with the Government of Afghanistan. "It is possible that the decision has been affected by the current COVID-19 pandemic, whose eventual effects on military operations are not yet clear," the report says.

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Taliban members close to 1 lakh

The UN report estimates that number of Taliban fighters ranges from 55,000 to 85,000 in Afghanistan and the group's facilitators and non-combatants could bring the total figure to 1,00,000. It also said that control of 50 to 60% of Afghan territory was contested between the Taliban and government forces during the reporting period. There are 21 districts currently reported to be under full Taliban control, down from between 25 and 30 districts in the previous reporting period.

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Big revenues

It also said that estimates by member states and others of overall Taliban annual combined revenues range from $300 million to upwards of $1.5 billion per annum; thanks to the retaking of large poppy-cultivating areas in Nangarhar and proceeds from the sale of narcotics like methamphetamine.

"Narcotic smuggling networks operate in Nangarhar and into Pakistan with the reported acquiescence of security officials who regulate and profit from the smuggling of heroin, hashish and other goods. Security officials reportedly allowed smuggling syndicates, known as tanzeems, to operate without fear of arrest in return for a portion of the profit. Revenues were ultimately shared between security officials, heads of the tanzeems and the Taliban. Interlocutors stated that this system was “a big source of revenue for the Taliban”," notes the UN report.

(AP Photo for representation)

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