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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan continues robust security operations along its western border as regional dynamics shift, following India&rsquo;s engagement with Afghanistan&rsquo;s Taliban government, according to a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG).&nbsp;The annual conflict assessment, titled &ldquo;Ten Conflicts to Watch in 2026&rdquo;, highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s strategic position in South Asia after two separate military confrontations in 2025, first with India in April, then with Afghanistan in October.&nbsp;The report underscores ongoing cross-border militancy, noting that over 600 Pakistani security personnel were killed last year, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan.&nbsp;Islamabad attributes these attacks to militants operating from Afghan territory, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) elements.&nbsp;While the Taliban publicly deny the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan, officials acknowledge that controlling all movement across the 2,570-kilometer border remains challenging, the ICG notes.&nbsp;In October, cross-border incidents prompted Pakistan to conduct limited operations against militant targets, and coordinated regional diplomacy through T&uuml;rkiye and Qatar helped establish a temporary ceasefire.&nbsp;The ICG report also observes that Taliban-India engagement has heightened Pakistan&rsquo;s strategic focus on the region. Pakistan&rsquo;s intelligence and military authorities continue to monitor developments closely, ensuring cross-border threats are contained while maintaining readiness for counterterrorism operations.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s history of supporting Afghan stability, including sheltering Taliban leaders during their insurgency against the US-backed government, underscores Islamabad&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to regional security.&nbsp;The ICG report stresses that Pakistan&rsquo;s proactive measures aim to prevent militant groups from exploiting porous borders and to maintain calm along its western frontier.&nbsp;In addition to western border challenges, Pakistan faced tensions with India following the April 2025 Pahalgam incident in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which led to retaliatory strikes by both sides.&nbsp;The report calls these confrontations the most serious escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in years. Pakistani authorities have since worked closely with international partners to stabilize the situation, while continuing to strengthen defense preparedness.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan remains vigilant in safeguarding its borders and countering cross-border threats,&rdquo; the assessment notes, citing Islamabad&rsquo;s measured and strategic response. Officials emphasize that regional stability depends on continuous cooperation, intelligence coordination, and robust security measures along sensitive border areas.&nbsp;The ICG&rsquo;s annual watchlist identifies South Asia as a critical flashpoint in 2026, highlighting the importance of Pakistan&rsquo;s proactive counterterrorism and border security operations in maintaining regional peace.

India

Afghanistan

The ICG report highlights South Asia’s 2025 conflicts, cross-border militancy, Afghanistan-India engagement, and regional flashpoints, warning that instability could escalate if underlying tensions remain unaddressed in 2026.

Pakistan strengthens border security amid Taliban-India regional developments

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistani authorities have taken into custody Sultan Aziz Azzam, a senior Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) figure, according to intelligence sources. He was arrested in May 2025 while attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan, the sources said. According to sources, Azzam was born in 1978 in the village of Olaswali Badi Kot in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. He is a graduate of Nangarhar University, where he studied Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqa Qanoon), completing his degree in 2005. He later worked with an FM radio station in Jalalabad. Sources said Azzam joined ISKP in 2016 and went on to become a prominent member of the group&rsquo;s leadership council, or Shura. He is believed to have overseen media operations and headed ISKP&rsquo;s Al-Azaim media foundation outlet. Azzam has held the position of ISKP spokesperson since the group first established itself in Afghanistan in 2015, according to a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report. Building on his former experience as an &ldquo;Afghan journalist,&rdquo; his activities as the ISKP&rsquo;s spokesperson increased the group&rsquo;s &ldquo;visibility and influence&rdquo; among its followers, the report said. He recruited new members through his &ldquo;rousing radio speeches&rdquo; and built a sophisticated &ldquo;media empire&rdquo;, as per the report. &ldquo;His transformation from a popular local media professional to a ruthless jihadist propagandist &mdash; who even threatened his former colleagues &mdash; is synonymous with [ISKP&#39;s] success in Afghanistan,&rdquo; said the Jamestown Foundation.&nbsp;Azzam played an instrumental role in spreading the ISKP&#39;s &ldquo;violent jihadi ideology, glorifying and justifying terrorist acts,&rdquo; according to the UNSC.&nbsp;&ldquo;His numerous statements and other propaganda activities have encouraged the recruitment of new members and the perpetration of terrorist acts on behalf of the organization,&rdquo; the UNSC added.&nbsp;On August 26, 2021, Azzam claimed responsibility on behalf of ISKP for the suicide attack near Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 United States service members, and injured 150 others.&nbsp;Following the attack, the United States designated Azzam as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in November 2021.&nbsp;According to the UNSC, Azzam was listed on April 26, 2023, pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of Resolution 2610 (2021), as being associated with parent group ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) or Al-Qaida for &ldquo;participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of&rdquo; and for &ldquo;recruiting for&rdquo; the ISKP.&nbsp;Overall, Azzam&rsquo;s propaganda activities supported ISKP in recruiting and inspiring its members to carry out high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, the report added.

Security

Pakistani authorities arrested Islamic State Khorasan Province media chief and spokesperson Sultan Aziz Azzam in May 2025 while crossing from Afghanistan, intelligence sources say, citing his key role in propaganda and recruitment.

Articles tagged with "ISIS-K"

Pakistan strengthens border security amid Taliban-India regional developments

Head of ISKP media outlet in Pakistan custody: Sources