The latest UNSC Committee report on AQ and IS and its associated groups and members has some latest information about both groups in Afghanistan and their relations with Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. 1/9

The report estimates TTP, ISKP, and AQ strengthen in Afghanistan, respectively, maximum 6000, 2200, and 500 respectively. The report claims that ISKP Central Asian members defected and joined IMU in Northern Afghanistan. 2/9

The report claims that AQ maintains close links both with TTP and Afghan Taliban and is spread across at least 11 Afghan provinces: Badakhshan, Ghazni, Helmand, Khost, Kunar, Kunduz, Logar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Paktiya, and Zabul. 3/9

It claims that the Afghan Taliban released the wife of the late Asim Umar, a former AQIS leader, who was among the more than 5,000 Taliban prisoners freed by the Government of Afghanistan in 2020. 4/9

The report claims that AQ supported in TTP reunification process which resulted in the mergers of five different anti-state Pakistani jihadist groups into TTP in Afghanistan last year. 5/9

The report comes with some new revelations about ISKP and its new leader Dr. Shahab al-Muhajir appointed ISKP emir last June. It says that al-Muhajir and his deputy Salahuddin are based in Kabul. 6/9

According to the report, ISKP chief al-Muhajir is also known as Sanaullah, serves as chief of the Al-Sadiq office of ISIL, which covers the “Khorasan” region, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Central Asian States. 7/9

The report claims that al-Muhajir had previously been a mid-level Haqqani Network commander & that he had maintained close cooperation with the entity, providing “key expertise and access to networks”, which ISIL-K required following its loss of territory & senior leadership. 8/9

Acc to the report, Afghanistan remains the worst affected country by terrorism in 2020. Terrorist activities & radical ideology continue 2 b a potential source of threats to the region & globally & with the peace process success, it may have a correspondingly positive impact. 9/9