Thousands of Pakistan nationals from LeT & JeM fighting alongside Taliban in Afghanistan: UN

NEW DELHI: Thousands of Pakistani nationals from LeT and JeM continue to support the Taliban against the Afghan government, according to a recently released report by a UN monitoring team.

The report referred to Pakistan’s double game of claiming to fight terrorism while backing terror groups that enhance its foreign policy goals.

“One Member State reported that the total number of Pakistani nationals fighting with terrorist groups in Afghanistan may be as high as 6,000 to 6,500,” said the 11th report from the U.N.’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

The report referred to three major Pakistan-based groups active in Afghanistan -- the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). All three groups operate inside Afghanistan with support of the Taliban.

“The presence of these groups is centered in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan, where they operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Taliban,” the report stated.

LeT approximately has 800 fighters and JeM has 200 in Afghanistan.

The U.N. report provided details on the locations of LeT and JeM inside Afghanistan.

LeT and JeM fighters are “co-located with Taliban forces in Mohmand Darah, Dur Baba and Sherzad Districts of Nangarhar Province. [TTP] also maintains a presence in Lal Pura District, near the border area of Mohmand Darah, Pakistan. In Kunar Province, [LeT] retains a further 220 fighters and has a further 30, all of whom are dispersed within Taliban forces."