UN Reports 20% Cut in Taliban Security Forces

DID Press: UN says the Taliban authorities have reduced their security forces by around 20 percent amid budgetary constraints and organizational inflation, with thousands of Tajik and Uzbek personnel dismissed.

In a report to the UN Security Council, the organization said the cuts have particularly affected provinces including Badakhshan, Kapisa, Parwan and Takhar. According to the UN, the decision was driven by financial pressures and an oversized security structure.

A Taliban spokesperson has confirmed the reduction, describing it as part of an “organizational reform.” While the UN stressed that the dismissals were not officially carried out on an ethnic basis, the concentration of cuts in predominantly Tajik- and Uzbek-populated areas has raised concerns about potential ethnic implications.

The report comes as security threats persist across Afghanistan. Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) has expanded its activities, including the use of artificial intelligence for propaganda and for training in the construction of improvised explosive devices.

The UN warned that downsizing Taliban security forces could create security gaps and provide opportunities for other militant groups to expand their operations. According to the report, more than 20 regional and international terrorist groups—including al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Turkistan Islamic Movement and Jamaat Ansarullah—remain active in Afghanistan.

The report also notes concerns over the recruitment of former militant fighters into local Taliban security units, raising risks of ideological penetration and security vulnerabilities. At the same time, the Taliban are seeking to develop drone capabilities and what the UN described as a “low-cost air force,” with some countries reporting possible involvement of al-Qaeda-linked envoys in drone production in Logar and Kabul.

Despite these challenges, the UN assessment says Afghanistan’s overall security situation is more stable than in the previous period, though the continued presence of multiple terrorist groups remains the country’s most serious security challenge.