UNITED NATIONS: The Chair of the UN Security Council Committee overseeing sanctions against ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and affiliated groups has said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is another serious threat emanating from the region.
According to the Committee, the group continues to receive logistical and substantial backing from the de facto Afghan authorities, and has carried out several high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory, some resulting in mass casualties.
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“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,” said Denmark’s Ambassador as the Chair of the 1267 Sanctions Committee.
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The Chair of the UN Security Council Committee overseeing sanctions against ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and affiliated groups presented a detailed briefing outlining the shifting global threat posed by these organisations and summarising the Committee’s activities over the year.
Delivering the statement on behalf of the Committee, the Chair said the threat from ISIL, Al-Qaida and their affiliates remains “dynamic and geographically diverse,” with Africa continuing to face the highest levels of extremist activity. Despite territorial losses in the Middle East, ISIL has reoriented its focus toward Africa, where branches such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have strengthened both operations and propaganda efforts.
The briefing noted that the identity of ISIL’s leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, remains unconfirmed. In Central and South Asia, ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) was identified as one of the most serious threats, maintaining at least 2,000 fighters under Sanaullah Ghafari and continuing attacks on Shia communities, Afghan authorities and foreign nationals.
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The Chair stressed that ISIL and Al-Qaida have demonstrated resilience, adaptability and opportunism, taking advantage of instability, weak governance and emerging technologies including cryptocurrencies to maintain operational relevance.
Summarising the Committee’s work between January and 18 November 2025, the Chair reported that it held informal consultations on 7 March, 21 July and 3 November, with an additional meeting planned for December. A joint open briefing with the 1988 Committee is also scheduled for later in the year.
The Monitoring Team, operating under Security Council resolution 2734 (2024), continued to support the Committee and submitted its thirty-sixth report in June, with the thirty-seventh expected in December. The Team also contributed to the Secretary-General’s twentieth report on the ISIL threat and participated in three regional meetings of intelligence and security chiefs.
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The Committee reviewed the implementation of humanitarian exemptions maintained under resolution 2761 (2024), and received a briefing from OCHA in November. As of 10 November, Member States submitted 32 travel-ban exemption requests, of which 19 were approved. Seven asset-freeze exemption requests were also received, but none of the extraordinary requests were cleared.
In October, the Committee approved the appointment of a new Ombudsperson. During the year, two individuals were delisted by the Security Council, while another two were removed from the sanctions list following recommendations from the Ombudsperson. One new individual was listed, and updates were approved for entries related to 19 individuals and one entity. The current 1267 Sanctions List includes 252 individuals and 89 entities. The annual review for 2024 is still under way and is expected to conclude in December.
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The Secretariat continued to provide substantive and technical support, including briefings for incoming Council members, assistance in expert recruitment for the Monitoring Team and maintenance of the sanctions list. The briefing concluded with a call for Member States to strengthen cooperation, submit new designations, and provide updated information to support the sanctions regime. The Chair reaffirmed the importance of the 1267 sanctions framework as a central pillar of global counter-terrorism efforts.
