UN Official Confirms Al-Qaeda Presence in Afghanistan

Date: 19 July 2026 - 00:41

News ID: ۱۵۱۸۸۷

MOSCOW (Dispatches) --
Alexander Zuev, the acting under-secretary-general of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, has stated that Al-Qaeda continues to maintain a presence in Afghanistan despite a significant decline in its operational activity.
In an interview with Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Zuev noted that Afghanistan remains host to several militant groups.
“Al-Qaeda is not currently engaged in extensive activity in Afghanistan, but it continues to maintain a presence in the country,” he said, adding that the group maintains what he described as “complex relations” with the Taliban.
Zuev identified the Daesh-K and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the most active terrorist groups currently operating in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have consistently denied the presence of foreign militant groups and assert they do not permit Afghan territory to be used to threaten other nations, a claim contradicted by periodic UN security assessments expressing concern over extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and Daesh-K.
The evolving militant landscape in Afghanistan is also influenced by recent geopolitical shifts in Syria. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government to takfiri forces led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the regional dynamics have undergone significant reconfiguration. Jolani, a figure who has historically had adversarial relations with both Al-Qaeda and Daesh, has been characterized by Daesh-K as a traitor and a Western proxy.
This complex situation has raised concerns about the transfer or redeployment of terrorists. Reports have surfaced regarding the potential relocation of Daesh elements from Syria’s Hasakah province into Iraq and possibly further east, coinciding with discussions about the U.S. reconfiguring its strategic footprint in Syria.
Some regional observers and analysts have suggested that such movements, coupled with U.S. troop redeployments, could reflect a broader military reorganization rather than a retreat, potentially involving the shifting of militants to areas like Afghanistan.
The concern over terrorist movements is compounded by the history of U.S. involvement with local proxies in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
The transfer of takfiri terrorists or their relocation is part of complex proxy dynamics, where the West, having reconsidered its position on Syria as a new field for influence, is facilitating the removal of these elements from the Syrian theater to Afghanistan as part of a new strategic agenda.