Al Qaeda has reportedly established eight new training camps and maintained several safehouses in Afghanistan, as indicated by a recent report presented to the United Nations Security Council. The report, compiled by the council’s committee overseeing Al Qaeda, highlights that the Taliban has not fulfilled its commitment, outlined in the Doha agreement with the United States, to sever ties with the terrorist group. Instead, the two organizations continue to maintain close relations.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban has allegedly increased its protection and support for Al Qaeda members, contradicting their pledge to the U.S. The report notes the establishment of “up to eight new training camps in Afghanistan, including four in Ghazni, Laghman, Parwan, and Uruzgan Provinces, with a new base for stockpiling weaponry in the Panjshir Valley.”
Furthermore, the report reveals that Al Qaeda operates five madrasas in the east and northeast of Afghanistan, serving as religious schools where children are trained and indoctrinated as fighters. The organization also controls safehouses in Kabul and Herat province, facilitating the movement of its members and communication between its leadership in Afghanistan and its top leaders in neighboring Iran.
Sayf al-Adl, Al Qaeda’s current leader, is believed to be based in Iran, according to both the United Nations and the U.S. Justice Department. The U.S. is offering a $10 million reward for information on his precise location.
Despite the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, which occurred a year prior to the report, the U.S. conducted a drone strike in Kabul that killed Al Qaeda’s then-leader Ayman al-Zawahri. The strike occurred within a guest house owned by the Taliban’s Interior Minister, who also leads the influential Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The UN report emphasizes that the presence of senior Al Qaeda figures in Afghanistan has not diminished, and the group still poses a regional threat. However, it notes that, at present, the organization cannot project sophisticated attacks over long distances. Analysts suggest that while training camps may exist in Afghanistan, the Taliban is cautious not to allow activities that might jeopardize vital U.S. humanitarian support, crucial for preventing a humanitarian crisis in the country.