Country Report on Terrorism 2023 - Chapter 1 - Afghanistan

Overview:  The United States has not yet made a decision whether to recognize the Taliban or any other entity as the Government of Afghanistan.  The Taliban continued to host and shelter members of al-Qa’ida, claiming these individuals are not actively engaging in terrorism.  According to the Independent Assessment of Afghanistan by the UN pursuant to resolution 2679 (2023), the Taliban also enabled members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who are active on Afghan soil.  TTP members travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan and conduct attacks.  Within the Taliban, there are internal divisions over how to address TTP as a group.  Throughout 2023 the Taliban continued its pursuit of and operations against ISIS-K, which it still views as its primary threat.  The year was marked by more reports of the Taliban stating they thwarted potential terrorist attacks, leading to an overall reduction of terrorism-based attacks.  The Taliban publicly and in private discussions with the United States reiterated its counterterrorism commitment under the 2020 U.S.-Taliban Agreement (the “Doha Agreement”).  However, al-Qa’ida, ISIS-K, TTP, and other terrorist groups remained present in Afghanistan.  In April, Tajikistan security forces reportedly discovered and neutralized an Afghan-origin terrorist cell that had crossed into Tajikistan territory with the intent to conduct attacks.  ISIS-K also conducted attacks on civilians in Afghanistan territory, continuing its campaign against ethnic and religious minorities.

2023 Terrorist Incidents:  Afghanistan experienced a reduction in terrorist attacks, including on mosques, schools, public transportation, and places of public gathering.  The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) recorded a year-over-year reduction in the use of IEDs by 72 percent, from 65 to 18.  The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) also reported a drop in overall attacks against civilians, compared with 2022.  ACLED data indicated 164 events with 175 fatalities conducted by “political based militias,” “identity-based militias,” and others.  According to Afghan Witness, ISIS-K concentrated mostly on Taliban members in its attacks from January to October, claiming that 14 out of 18 attacks during this period targeted Taliban members, while only three targeted Shia civilians, and one targeted employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Significant terrorist attacks in 2023 included the following:

• On March 12, ISIS-K detonated a parcel bomb at a Shia event in Mazar-e Sharif, Balkh province, killing a journalist and wounding eight other persons.
• On May 26 in Baghlan province, unknown attackers detonated an IED outside a security vehicle, killing one civilian, and wounding 19 other people, including three Taliban members.
• On June 6, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed the Taliban so-called deputy provincial governor of Badakhshan province.
• On July 28, during Ashura, Taliban-linked fighters reportedly opened fire on Shia Hazara worshipers in Ghazni City, Ghazni province.
• On August 21, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for an IED attack near the Ministry of Justice in Kabul that killed two civilians and wounded two others.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security:  There have been no changes to CT legislation since 2022.  The Taliban on several occasions publicly announced that they had detained or killed ISIS-K members, including those responsible for terrorist attacks.  Afghan political opposition groups publicly stated that these operations were aimed at targeting their members to quell political dissent.  According to ACLED, these Taliban actions were conducted by police, military, and intelligence forces affiliated with the Taliban.  The Taliban reported disrupting ISIS-K attacks, diffusing ISIS-K explosives, and disbanding or detaining ISIS-K terrorist cells.  UNAMA and media reports indicated the TTP launched significant attacks after crossing Afghanistan’s southeastern border into Pakistan.  UNAMA reported that TTP members moved freely around the Afghan-Pakistan border area fully armed and brandishing weapons in front of Pakistan border forces.  In April, Tajikistan reported the capture of an Afghan-origin terrorist cell within its borders.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism:  There have been no changes since 2022.

Countering Violent Extremism:  The Taliban have implemented a weapons exchange program, where they will accept TTP members’ surrender, take away their weapons, and provide relocation assistance within Afghanistan.

International and Regional Cooperation:  There have been reports of regional cooperation with Afghanistan on counterterrorism.  This includes with Afghanistan’s neighbors, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic, but the extent of the reported cooperation has not been verified.  In August an Iranian delegation visiting Afghanistan praised the Taliban for assisting Iran in stopping terrorist attacks in Mashhad, Iran.