New York – The United Nations has warned that fighters from the Syrian conflict could relocate to Afghanistan, posing a regional security threat. The warning was issued in the UN Secretary General’s 2025 counterterrorism report presented to the Security Council.
ISIL-K Remains a Major Threat
The report states that militants who fought in the December 2024 campaign against the former Syrian government may move to Afghanistan and project threats across South and Central Asia. It also highlights the continued danger of ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), calling it one of the most serious challenges in the region.
According to the UN, ISIL-K has an estimated 2,000 fighters in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 militants remain active in Syria, where they are trying to rebuild operational strength and exploit local security gaps. The report also warns about tens of thousands detained in camps in northeast Syria, including women and children linked to ISIL. Prolonged confinement under unsafe conditions risks further radicalisation.
Pakistan Urges Global Counterterrorism Strategy
Following the report, Pakistan urged the international community to adopt a global counterterrorism strategy. Speaking at the Security Council, Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad described the security situation in Afghanistan as “precarious” and warned of ISIL-K’s growing threat to Pakistan’s security.
“Our principal adversary in the region is actively sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan,” he said. He accused the rival state of financing proxies, conducting extraterritorial assassinations, and targeting economic projects.
Ambassador Ahmad also warned of cooperation among Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and Majeed Brigade. He said these groups share training facilities, target strategic infrastructure, and attack ordinary citizens. Ahmad identified TTP as the largest UN-designated terrorist group operating from Afghan soil.
UN Flags Digital Terror Networks
The UN report warns that Daesh is exploiting digital tools and artificial intelligence to raise funds, recruit youth, and spread propaganda. UN officials call this a complex and evolving threat requiring urgent global attention.
Ambassador Ahmad called for a holistic counterterrorism approach addressing root causes such as state oppression and occupation. He condemned the misuse of counterterrorism narratives in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Palestine. Ahmad criticised bias in UN frameworks, noting all names on the Security Council’s terrorism list are Muslim, while extremists elsewhere escape scrutiny.
