Bajaur — In a development raising fresh concerns over cross-border militancy, a security personnel from the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has been identified alongside Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Bajaur district.

Independent monitoring platform Mahaz released images of Adil, reportedly serving with the Afghan Taliban’s security forces, seen in militant attire in Bajaur’s Syedabad Loi Mamund area. Additional photos show him wearing the official uniform of the Taliban-led Afghan interim government, reinforcing his affiliation.

Dead Militants Handed Over to Afghanistan

Last week, Pakistan handed over the bodies of several TTP and Afghan fighters killed in Bajaur and Mohmand operations. Among them were Mulvi Farid Mansoor, son of TTP’s religious commission head Mulvi Faqir, and commander Wazir. Afghan fighters included Zarqawi Mansoor (Nangarhar), Rohani, and Ahmadi Gul (Logar).

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Pakistan’s Rising Terror Toll

Pakistan continues to reel under escalating militant violence. Official data shows 1,177 people were killed in 2024, including 488 civilians and 461 security personnel.

The trend worsened in early 2025, with civilian deaths surging by 175% in February alone, when 55 people were killed in 79 attacks.

August 2025 proved the deadliest month in more than a decade, recording 143 militant strikes that left 194 people dead, among them 62 civilians and 73 security personnel.

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Afghan Nationals in Terror Attacks

The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 has reshaped cross-border militancy. Pakistani officials estimate that 70–80% of militants infiltrating the country are Afghan nationals, aided by TTP for logistics and guidance.

In 2024, 27 Afghan nationals were among more than 900 militants killed in counterterrorism operations. The toll rose sharply in 2025, with security forces eliminating 126 Afghan fighters engaged alongside the TTP.

Recent incidents highlight this trend:

• In early September, Mahaz reported the killing of six Afghan nationals in operations, with profiling underway.
  
• Three of five suicide bombers in the Frontier Corps attack in Bannu were Afghan nationals: Najibullah alias Huzifa Muhajir, Shabir Ahmad alias Mawlvi Bilal Muhajir, and Abdul Aziz alias Qassid Muhajir.
  
• On Jan 30, 2025, Badar Uddin (Yousuf), son of Badghis deputy governor Maulvi Ghulam Muhammad, was killed with TTP’s Gandapur group in DI Khan.

• On Feb 6, 2025, an Afghan national, Luqman Khan alias Nusrat of Khost province, was killed in Datta Khel, North Waziristan.

United Nations Confirms TTP’s Afghan Safe Haven

The 36th UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report (July 2025) confirmed that TTP operates in a “permissive environment” inside Afghanistan, with an estimated 6,000 fighters and sustained support from the Afghan Taliban’s de facto authorities. The report noted TTP’s expanded access to weapons, enhancing the lethality of its operations.

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Islamabad’s Stance

The involvement of the Afghan deputy governor’s son and other Afghan nationals in terrorism, and their deaths alongside TTP militants, has been viewed as undeniable proof of Afghanistan’s role in cross-border militancy. These incidents have reinforced Islamabad’s position that the TTP exploits Afghan soil to stage attacks.

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Pakistani authorities emphasise the need for accountability within Afghanistan and sustained pressure on Kabul through bilateral, regional, and UN forums. They call for dismantling militant safe havens, shutting down launchpads, and halting political cover for terrorist groups, underscoring that Afghan nationals continue to be repeatedly identified in terror plots inside Pakistan.