According to a latest United Nations report, which has been submitted to the Security Council this week, al Qaeda is present in at least 15 Afghan provinces. These provinces are primarily in the southern, eastern and southeastern regions of the country.
The 28th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team shares the latest information on al Qaeda, ISIL (Daesh) and their affiliates.
Reports of the team, which has been established under a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution, are printed in all the official languages of the world body.
Despite a US-Taliban peace deal signed in Doha in February last year, the security situation in Afghanistan “remains fragile, with uncertainty surrounding the peace process and a risk of further deterioration”, the report said.
The UN report says al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under Taliban’s protection from Kandahar, Helmand and Nimruz provinces. It made the observation while referring to the militant group’s weekly newsletter Thabat.
AQIS is being led by Osama Mahmood after the death of its leader Asim Umar in 2019.
Mahmood is not listed in UN documents for terrorists. He was the group’s spokesperson before he got elevated to the chief’s post.
(With inputs from agencies)
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