6,500 Pakistani terrorists among foreign fighters in Afghanistan: UN report

There are as many as 6,500 Pakistani terrorists among the foreign fighters operating in Afghanistan and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) play a key role in bringing foreign fighters into the war-torn country, a report from the United Nations (UN) has revealed.

The report, by the UN Security Council’s analytical support and sanctions monitoring team, highlighted that these foreign terrorists posed a serious threat to the security situation in Afghanistan because of their activities and permanent presence in the country.

The UN report said Afghan officials highlighted Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), JeM and LeT among the foreign groups posing a security threat. All three groups have a presence in the eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan, “where they operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Taliban”, the report said.

“Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) facilitate the trafficking of terrorist fighters into Afghanistan, who act as advisors, trainers and specialists in improvised explosive devices,” said the report.

“Both groups are responsible for carrying out targeted assassinations against government officials and others,” it added.

The UN report further highlighted that both the groups were stated to have approximately “800 and 200 armed fighters, respectively, co-located with Taliban forces in Mohmand Darah, Dur Baba and Sherzad Districts of Nangarhar Province”.

In Kunar province, Lashkar-e-Taiba retains a further 220 fighters” and Jaish-e-Mohammed “has a further 30, all of whom are dispersed within Taliban forces”, according to the report.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Afghanistan is led by Noor Wali Mehsud and his deputy Qari Amjad. “The group is thought to have about 500 fighters in Kunar and about 180 in Nangarhar,” the report said.

Reacting to the report, India’s external affairs ministry has said that the report has “vindicated its long-standing position that Pakistan remained the epicentre of international terrorism”.

“This vindicates India’s long-standing position that Pakistan remains the epicentre of international terrorism,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

“They inflict violence and spread terrorism in the region and other parts of the world. Pakistan has failed in fulfilling its international obligations, including under relevant UNSC resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force, to put an end to support to terrorism,” he said.