Denmark has pointed to the “serious threat” posed by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Central and South Asia and says that the terror outfit has been receiving “logistical and substantial support from the de facto authorities”.
In the capacity of the chair of the Security Council ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, Denmark raised these concerns while briefing a UNSC meeting held in New York on Wednesday.
The presence of TTP militants in Afghanistan has long been a point of contention between Islamabad and the Taliban administration. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has accused the group of sheltering thousands of TTP fighters, who have escalated attacks on Pakistani security forces, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Denmark’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Sandra Jensen Landi told the UNSC meeting that the TTP, “with its approximately 6,000 fighters, is another serious threat emanating from the region, receiving both logistical and substantial support from the de facto authorities”.
“The TTP has conducted numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil, some of which incurred mass casualties,” she added.
Landi also gave an overview of the evolving terrorist threat posed by Daesh, Al-Qaeda and their affiliates, drawing on the latest assessments of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.
“The threat posed by ISIL (Daesh), Al-Qaeda and their affiliates remains dynamic and geographically diverse, with the highest intensity observed in Africa. ISIL, Al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to step up their propaganda, exploiting social media platforms to glorify violence, recruit youth and raise funds. Their continued use of cryptocurrencies poses a growing challenge to sanctions implementation,” she said.
Landi further stated that after losses in the Middle East, Daesh had “pivoted towards Africa, where affiliates such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have expanded activities and propaganda”.
“ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) is one of the most serious threats in Central and South Asia, with at least 2,000 fighters under Sanaullah Ghafari. They continue to target Shia communities, de facto Afghan authorities and foreign nationals,” she said.
“Across regions, foreign terrorist fighter movements — particularly between Syria, Africa and Central Asia — remain a persistent concern for member states.”
Landi further said that Al-Qaeda’s central leadership remained weak and largely marginalised, while affiliates — including Jamaat Nasr al Islam wal Muslimin in the Sahel region of Africa — had “exploited local grievances to expand their reach and financing”.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also continued to incite attacks and raise funds, she highlighted.
“Overall, ISIL and Al-Qaeda have proven resilient, adaptive and opportunistic, exploiting regional instability, weak governance and emerging technologies to sus
