On July 24, the United Nations Security Council’s Monitoring Committee released its 36th report on the Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh, as well as al-Qaida and associated groups. The report indicates that the threat from IS, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains “diverse and dynamic.”

In Asia, the report focused only on two regions — South Asia and Southeast Asia — and it was clear the former was the larger concern. In particular, the report underscored “growing concerns about the threat from foreign terrorist fighters” in South Asia — and especially in Afghanistan.

“The de facto authorities in Afghanistan continued to maintain a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida and its affiliates, posing a serious threat to the security of Central Asian and other countries,” the report stated.