Islamabad — As the world marks the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, concerns are resurfacing over the resurgence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the risks this poses for regional and global security. A recent analysis by The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli daily, warns that the militant group has re-established its networks under Taliban protection since the United States withdrawal in 2021.

Al-Qaeda Regains Ground Under Taliban Protection

According to the report, al-Qaeda is being led by Hamza bin Laden and veteran strategist Saif al-Adel, a former Egyptian commando and close associate of Osama bin Laden. Training camps are said to be operational across several Afghan provinces. Experts cited in the article note that while a 9/11-scale attack appears unlikely in the near future, the group’s growing capabilities, including drone technology, online recruitment, and hardened fighters, raise the risk of smaller but lethal strikes.

While Israel views this development through the prism of global terrorism and its own security calculus, for Pakistan, the implications are far more immediate and costly.

Pakistan’s Continuing Security Concern

Analysts highlight that Taliban–al-Qaeda cooperation, regional instability, and intelligence gaps demand constant vigilance. For Pakistan, the issue is even more pressing. Since 9/11, the country has suffered immense losses during the War on Terror, more than 83,000 civilians and security personnel killed, alongside economic losses in the tens of billions of dollars.

Pakistan has consistently raised alarms that al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), and the Afghan Taliban are reinforcing each other’s networks, fueling cross-border terrorism. Al-Qaeda’s cooperation with the Taliban has strengthened the TTP, enabling its expansion into Pakistan and beyond. 

As part of its ongoing Operation Sarbakaf in Bajaur district, Pakistani forces have reported the involvement of Afghan nationals. Confessions from detained TTP fighters confirm training and support inside Afghanistan.

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Pakistan Raises Alarm at the United Nations

On July 7, 2025, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram Iftikhar, told the General Assembly that militant groups, including the TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade, are operating from ungoverned spaces inside Afghanistan.

He warned that the TTP, with an estimated 6,000 fighters, is the largest UN-designated terrorist group currently based in Afghanistan and poses a direct threat not only to Pakistan but also to regional and international stability. Other groups active in Afghanistan include IS-Khorasan, Al-Qaeda, and Baloch separatist factions.

TTP’s Growing Capabilities

Pakistan’s investigations reveal that many TTP attacks have been carried out with sophisticated weapons left behind by international forces following their 2021 withdrawal. The group is evolving into a transnational militant outfit, with commanders and fighters based in Afghanistan threatening regional security.

The UN Sanctions Monitoring Team, in its report of July 24, 2025, confirmed that al-Qaeda maintains a presence in Afghanistan, consisting mainly of Arab-origin fighters who had previously fought alongside the Taliban. These militants were reported to be spread across six provinces: Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Uruzgan, and Zabul.

The report also identified several al-Qaeda-linked training facilities across Afghanistan, including three newly established sites. While described as small and rudimentary, these camps reportedly trained both al-Qaeda operatives and TTP fighters, underscoring the deepening nexus between the two groups.

A Call for International Action

While The Jerusalem Post emphasises the dangers al-Qaeda poses to the United States and the wider international community, Pakistan continues to experience the most direct fallout. Unlike Israel’s distant security lens, Pakistan’s concerns are immediate: cross-border suicide bombings, terror financing networks, and the destabilising spillover of Afghanistan’s ungoverned spaces.

Experts stress that unless timely and equitable pressure is placed on the Taliban government in Kabul, Afghanistan risks becoming a breeding ground for terrorist groups once again threatening its neighbours and the wider international community. Failure to act, they warn, could risk paving the way for a repeat of another 9/11-style tragedy.