UN Security Council Monitoring Team Flags JeM Role in Red Fort Attack
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has been linked to a deadly attack near Delhi’s Red Fort and has claimed responsibility for multiple incidents, according to a new United Nations Security Council report.
The biannual assessment by the Security Council’s sanctions monitoring team for al-Qaeda and Islamic State, released this week, said JeM was “reported to be linked to an attack on the Red Fort in New Delhi on 9 November that killed 15 people”.
The report also highlighted developments within the Pakistan-based group’s leadership. It noted that JeM chief Masood Azhar — a UN-designated terrorist — formally announced the creation of a women-only wing, Jamaat ul-Muminat, on October 8 last year. The wing, the report said, was intended to support terrorist operations.
According to the monitoring team, one UN member state reported that JeM had “claimed responsibility for a series of attacks”. However, another member state described the group as “defunct”.
While the report does not name specific countries, the latter assessment appears consistent with Pakistan’s long-standing position that JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are inactive following their bans under domestic anti-terror legislation.
References to Regional Security
The report also cited security developments in Jammu and Kashmir, noting that on July 28, 2025, three individuals “allegedly involved” in the Pahalgam attack were killed.
The Pahalgam attack in April last year, attributed to LeT proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), left 26 civilians dead. India later conducted strikes targeting militant infrastructure in Pakistan, triggering a brief but intense military confrontation between the two countries.
JeM and LeT fall under the purview of the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee due to their historical links to al-Qaeda.
Afghanistan Remains a Concern
In its review of Afghanistan, the monitoring team said the Taliban-led authorities continued to provide a “permissive environment” for several terrorist organisations, particularly Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The report pointed to an increase in cross-border attacks in Pakistan attributed to TTP elements operating from Afghan territory, contributing to heightened tensions and military exchanges.
Although Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) remains under sustained counter-terrorism pressure, the group retains “potent capability” and the intent to conduct external operations, the report warned.
Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, was described as benefiting from Taliban patronage and acting as a “service provider” for other extremist groups, particularly in training and operational guidance.
The monitoring team underscored that regional countries remain uneasy about the presence of multiple terror outfits in Afghanistan and the risk of spillover effects.
“The Afghan de facto authorities claimed that there were no terrorist groups within its borders. No Member State supported this view,” the report said.
Terror Groups and Technology
The report also flagged growing concerns over the use of emerging technologies by extremist organisations.
It cited a “discernible increase” in the exploitation of commercial satellite communication systems, which offer low-cost, fast, and relatively secure channels.
Terrorist groups have also demonstrated increasing proficiency in artificial intelligence tools, particularly for propaganda, recruitment, and radicalisation efforts.
While this does not yet represent a fundamental shift in operational capability, the report cautioned that such tools pose a rising challenge for global counter-terrorism efforts.
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