6,500 Pak terrorists among foreign fighters in Afghanistan; LeT, JeM play key role: UN report

There are some 6,500 Pakistani nationals amongst overseas terrorists working in Afghanistan and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) play a key position in bringing overseas fighters into the war-torn nation, in line with a UN report.

The report, from the UN Security Council’s analytical help and sanctions monitoring staff and issued late final month, indicated Pakistani terrorists shaped a big a part of overseas fighters that pose a critical risk to Afghanistan’s safety due to their actions and everlasting presence within the nation.

The report mentioned the Afghan Taliban’s position as a reputable counter-terrorism associate for the world neighborhood within the aftermath of the February settlement with the US will want cautious monitoring due to the “number of foreign terrorist fighters in search of a purpose and livelihood in Afghanistan, including up to 6,500 Pakistanis”.

Reacting to the report, exterior affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava expressed “serious concern” to the continued presence in Afghanistan of the senior management of al-Qaeda and numerous overseas terrorists, together with 6,500 Pakistan nationals. The report, he mentioned, “vindicates India’s long-standing position that Pakistan remains the epicentre of international terrorism”.

There have been experiences since final yr of the JeM and LeT, each blamed for high-profile assaults in India, sending a whole lot of fighters to Afghanistan following elevated stress on Pakistan from the world neighborhood to crack down on terror teams.

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The UN report mentioned Afghan officers highlighted Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), JeM and LeT among the many overseas teams posing a safety risk. All three teams have a presence within the japanese Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan, “where they operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Taliban”, the report mentioned.

Afghan interlocutors mentioned JeM and LeT “facilitate the trafficking of terrorist fighters into Afghanistan, who act as advisers, trainers and specialists in improvised explosive devices”.

The report added: “Both groups are responsible for carrying out targeted assassinations against government officials and others. Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed 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.”

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In Kunar province, LeT “retains a further 220 fighters” and JeM “has a further 30, all of whom are dispersed within Taliban forces”, in line with the report.

The TTP in Afghanistan is led by Noor Wali Mehsud and the group is assumed to have about 500 fighters in Kunar and about 180 in Nangarhar.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Srivastava mentioned UN-designated entities corresponding to LeT and JeM, “operating from Pakistan-controlled territories [were] facilitating trafficking and imparting training to other terrorists in Afghanistan”.

He added, “This vindicates India’s long-standing position that Pakistan remains the epicentre of international terrorism. That proscribed terrorist entities and individuals continue to enjoy safe havens and recruit, train, arm, finance and operate with impunity from Pakistan with state support. They inflict violence and spread terrorism in the region and other parts of the world.”

Pakistan, Srivastava mentioned, has failed in fulfilling its worldwide obligations, together with underneath UN Security Council resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to “put an end to support to terrorism emanating from territories under its control”. The world neighborhood ought to maintain Pakistan accountable and search sustained, verifiable and irreversible motion in opposition to terrorism, he mentioned.

The UN report additionally highlighted the shut and enduring hyperlinks between the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda regardless of the signing of the settlement with the US in February. The settlement supplied for the drawdown of American troops in trade for counter-terrorism measures by the Afghan Taliban and intra-Afghan talks aimed toward a everlasting ceasefire.

“Early indications are that many, if not all, of these objectives will prove challenging,” the report mentioned.

The report additional mentioned the Haqqani Network – a key element of the Afghan Taliban which Indian and Afghan officers have lengthy contended has ties with Pakistan’s army institution – continues to be near al-Qaeda. It added that al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri met members of the Haqqani Network as just lately as February.

The report additionally highlighted the presence of Pakistani terrorists within the Islamic State’s Khorasan chapter, corresponding to commander Abdullah Orakzai alias Aslam Farooqi, who was captured with 21 others in Kandahar in March. Twelve Pakistani nationals have been captured together with Farooqi.