Taliban denies Afghanistan is a haven for terrorists

In response to a US Congressional hearing that discussed the security situation in South and Central Asia, the Taliban denied that foreign terror organizations are operating in Afghanistan. The Taliban has made this claim for two decades, despite the fact that Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have used the country as a base of operations and continue to do so. 

On June 26, 2025, US Congressman Bill Huizenga, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, stated that “Afghanistan has once again become a hotbed for terrorists looking for safe harbor as they grow their ranks and abilities to project attacks across the region and, frankly, the world.” Huizenga made the statement at a hearing titled “Assessing the Terror Threat Landscape in South and Central Asia and Examining Opportunities for Cooperation.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid responded by denying the presence of foreign terrorists or that most of these groups operate with the support and approval of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s government. Mujahid and the Taliban have issued such denials many times in the past.

“We strongly reject the claim made by the U.S. House of Representatives suggesting that foreign groups are present in Afghanistan or that any threat emanates from its territory,” Mujahid posted on X. “Afghanistan has a unified and strong government with full control over the entire geography of the country and does not allow anyone to use its territory against any party.”

It is documented that the Taliban does not support the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has a strong presence in Afghanistan, and routinely reports killing or capturing ISKP operatives. However, the Taliban and ISKP are enemies. In contrast, Al Qaeda and its allies, including the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) and the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP), operate with the express support and approval of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Training camps and terror infrastructure

Multiple reports from the United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team over the past two years have detailed the presence of groups such as Al Qaeda, TIP, TTP, and Jamaat Ansarullah, which is often referred to as “the Tajik Taliban” or “the Movement of the Taliban in Tajikistan.” In its latest report, the UN Monitoring Team noted that Al Qaeda is known to operate training camps in at least 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, and the group’s jihadist allies run camps in two additional provinces.

In addition to training camps, Al Qaeda operates safe houses used to facilitate the movement of its members to and from Iran in five provinces, plus five madrasas (religious schools), a weapons depot, and a media operations center.

“The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remains close,” the Monitoring Team has reported.

Al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan

Al Qaeda Emir Saif al Adel and his deputy, Abd al Rahman al Maghrebi, are believed to have traveled from Iran to Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the latter country in August 2021. In the spring of 2024, Adel called for supporters around the world to migrate to Afghanistan to receive training to wage jihad.

Other senior Al Qaeda leaders are also based in the country. Abdul Haq al Turkistani, the leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party who is also a member of Al Qaeda’s leadership council, is known to operate in Afghanistan. Osama Mahmood, the leader of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, is ensconced in the country. Amin al Haq, Osama bin Laden’s former security chief, made a triumphant return to Afghanistan from Pakistan soon after the Taliban seized power. Abu Ikhlas al Masri, a top military commander who was imprisoned at Bagram until the Taliban opened the gates to the jail and freed scores, if not hundreds, of foreign terrorists, has reestablished his military units in northeastern Afghanistan.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD’s Long War Journal.